Population density in the Czech Republic by district
Demographic features of the population of the Czech Republic include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations.
Population
With an estimated population of 10,516,707 as of 2022, compared to 9.3 million at the beginning of the 20th century, the population growth of the Czech Republic has been limited, due to low fertility rates and loss of population in and around World Wars I and II. Population loss during World War I was approximately 350,000. At the beginning of World War II the population of the Czech Republic reached its maximum (11.2 million). Due to the expulsion of the German residents after World War II, the Czech Republic lost about 3 million inhabitants and in 1947 the population was only 8.8 million. Population growth resumed, and in 1994 the population was 10.33 million.
From 1994 to 2003 natural growth was slightly negative (−0.15% per year) and the population decreased to 10.2 million. Since 2005, natural growth has been positive, but in recent times the most important influence on the population of the Czech Republic has been immigration: approximately 300,000 during the 2010s.
One birth every 5 minutes
One death every 5 minutes
One net migrant every 44 minutes
Net gain of one person every 131 minutes
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Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Total population
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1790
4,444,000
—
1800
4,659,000
+4.8%
1810
4,870,000
+4.5%
1820
5,272,791
+8.3%
1830
5,996,778
+13.7%
1840
6,378,071
+6.4%
1850
6,826,465
+7.0%
1860
7,277,801
+6.6%
Year
Pop.
±%
1869
7,617,230
+4.7%
1880
8,222,013
+7.9%
1890
8,665,421
+5.4%
1900
9,372,214
+8.2%
1910
10,078,637
+7.5%
1921
10,009,587
−0.7%
1930
10,674,386
+6.6%
1950
8,896,133
−16.7%
Year
Pop.
±%
1961
9,571,531
+7.6%
1970
9,807,697
+2.5%
1980
10,291,927
+4.9%
1991
10,302,215
+0.1%
2001
10,230,060
−0.7%
2011
10,436,560
+2.0%
2021
10,524,167
+0.8%
Since 1869, the data come from the censuses. Source: Czech Demographic Handbook [6]
Life expectancy
total population: 79.5 years. Country comparison to the world: 56th
male: 76.55 years
female: 82.61 years (2021 est.)
Death rate
10.72 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 23rd
Life expectancy since 1875Life expectancy since 1960 by gender
Period
Life expectancy in years
1950–1955
66.86
1955–1960
69.59
1960–1965
70.35
1965–1970
69.99
1970–1975
70.04
1975–1980
70.64
1980–1985
70.78
1985–1990
71.46
1990–1995
72.50
1995–2000
74.23
2000–2005
75.54
2005–2010
76.98
2010–2015
78.17
| 2.4
|}
Fertility
Czech Republic total fertility rate by region (2014)[8]Birth rate :8.75 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 207th Total fertility rate :1.83 children born/woman (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 205th Mother's mean age at first birth :28.5 years (2019 est.)
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.I.2011): [17]
Age Group
Male
Female
Total
%
Total
5 168 799
5 363 971
10 532 770
100
0–4
296 944
282 591
579 535
5.50
5–9
249 218
235 846
485 064
4.61
10–14
233 025
220 518
453 543
4.31
15–19
298 949
283 701
582 650
5.53
20–24
355 493
336 516
692 009
6.57
25–29
386 426
360 070
746 496
7.09
30–34
461 410
434 976
896 386
8.51
35–39
456 642
432 290
888 932
8.44
40–44
361 605
343 287
704 892
6.69
45–49
354 342
342 339
696 681
6.61
50–54
336 194
336 351
672 545
6.39
55–59
367 638
386 703
754 341
7.16
60–64
352 692
391 178
743 870
7.06
65–69
249 700
302 420
552 120
5.24
70–74
163 508
220 319
383 827
3.64
75–79
122 317
191 050
313 367
2.98
80–84
79 882
152 084
231 966
2.20
85–89
34 877
86 898
121 775
1.16
90–94
6 453
19 431
25 884
0.25
95–99
1 277
4 727
6 004
0.06
100+
207
676
883
<0.01
Age group
Male
Female
Total
Percent
0–14
779 187
738 955
1 518 142
14.41
15–64
3 731 391
3 647 411
7 378 802
70.06
65+
658 221
977 605
1 635 826
15.53
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.I.2021): [17]
Age Group
Male
Female
Total
%
Total
5 275 103
5 426 674
10 701 777
100
0–4
290 444
276 818
567 262
5.30
5–9
285 498
271 459
556 957
5.20
10–14
304 995
290 527
595 522
5.56
15–19
252 007
238 443
490 450
4.58
20–24
245 786
232 124
477 910
4.47
25–29
320 181
300 744
620 925
5.80
30–34
370 523
348 408
718 931
6.72
35–39
389 652
363 658
753 310
7.04
40–44
460 462
432 859
893 321
8.35
45–49
452 969
429 617
882 586
8.25
50–54
352 166
338 917
691 083
6.46
55–59
336 205
333 528
669 733
6.26
60–64
304 764
320 701
625 465
5.84
65-69
313 014
359 404
672 418
6.28
70-74
274 177
347 000
621 177
5.80
75-79
170 104
247 097
417 201
3.90
80-84
90 188
153 949
244 137
2.28
85-89
44 759
93 731
138 490
1.29
90-94
14 784
39 027
53 811
0.50
95-99
2 177
8 066
10 243
0.10
100-104
221
530
751
0.01
105-109
27
67
94
<0.01
Age group
Male
Female
Total
Percent
0–14
880 937
838 804
1 719 741
16.07
15–64
3 484 715
3 338 999
6 823 714
63.76
65+
909 451
1 248 871
2 158 322
20.17
Education
Literacy
definition: NA
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2011 est.)
Employment and income
Unemployment, youth ages 15–24
Total: 8%. Country comparison to the world: 155th
Male: 7.2%
Female: 9.2% (2020 est.)
Ethnic groups
The majority of the 10.5 million inhabitants of the Czech Republic are ethnically and linguistically Czech (95%). They are descendants of Slavic people from the Black Sea-Carpathian region who settled in Bohemia, Moravia and parts of present-day Austria in the 6th century AD. Other ethnic groups include Germans, Romani people, Poles, and Hungarians. Historical minorities like Germans and Poles are declining due to assimilation. There is also a growing community from Vietnam. Other ethnic communities like Greeks, Turks, Italians, and Yugoslavs are found in Prague. Since the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, Slovaks living in the Czech Republic have comprised roughly 3% of the population.
There are different groups of national and ethnic minorities in the Czech Republic. The only "old minority" is Poles in the Trans-Olza region, while the "new minorities" are scattered among the majority population (generally in the larger towns). While some of the minorities have the whole social structure of Czech society[clarification needed] (Poles, Slovaks, Greeks and Ukrainians), other represent only some of the social groups (i.e. Russian newcomers of middle class, and Romani people who generally represent the underclass).[18]
1880–1910
Population of Bohemia, Moravia and Austrian Silesia by language[19]
Language
1880
1890
1900
1910
Czech
62.5%
62.4%
62.4%
62.9%
German
35.8%
35.6%
35.1%
34.6%
Polish
1.0%
1.2%
1.6%
1.6%
Other
0.7%
0.8%
0.9%
0.9%
Total population
8,222,013
8,665,421
9,372,140
10,078,637
After World War I
Population of the Czech Republic according to ethnic group 1921–2011
1 In 2011 a large part of the population did not claim any ethnicity, before the census it was widely mediatized that the question is not mandatory. The vast majority of those who did so are presumed to be ethnic Czechs, number of whom dropped by roughly the same amount that the number of undeclared people rose, circa 2.5 million.
A special situation applies in the case of Moravians and Silesians, who are frequently allocated within the group of Czechs when it comes to the statistical data.
Citizens belonging to the officially recognized minorities enjoy the right to "use their language in communication with authorities and in courts of law". Article 25 of the Czech Charter of Fundamental Rights and Basic Freedoms provides the right of the national and ethnic minorities to education and communication with authorities in their own language. Act No. 500/2004 Coll. (The Administrative Rule) in its paragraph 16 (4) (Procedural Language) provides that a citizen of the Czech Republic who belongs to a national or an ethnic minority, which traditionally and on a long-term basis lives within the territory of the Czech Republic, has the right to address an administrative agency and proceed before it in the language of the minority. In the case that the administrative agency does not have an employee with knowledge of the language, the agency is bound to obtain a translator at the agency's own expense. According to Act No. 273/2001 (About The Rights of Members of Minorities) paragraph 9 (The right to use language of a national minority in dealing with authorities and in the courts of law) the same also applies to members of national minorities in the courts of law.
The economic migration of Bulgarians to the Czech Republic began in the 1990s. 4,363 citizens claimed to have Bulgarian nationality in the 2001 census. They mostly live in the large cities and towns, such as Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Karlovy Vary, Kladno, Ústí nad Labem, Děčín, and Havířov. Nowadays the newcomers from Bulgaria aim for these areas in particular, where they can join an already established community. Many of these economic immigrants have dual citizenship of both the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. However most of the recent immigrants still only have Bulgarian citizenship.
The Bulgarian Cultural Organisation publishes the magazine Roden Glas, while a folklore organisation Kytka promotes traditional Bulgarian dances. Among other organisations are Pirin, Zaedno, Vazraždane and Hyshove.[23]
As an officially recognized minority the Bulgarian citizens of the Czech Republic enjoy the right to use their language in communication with authorities and in the courts of law. They also enjoy a number of other rights connected to the status of recognized minority, e.g. the right to education in their own language: the first Bulgarian school in the current Czech Republic was established in 1946 in Prague.
Czech districts with 50% or more ethnic German population[24] in 1935
The German minority of the Czech Republic, historically the largest minority of the country, was almost entirely removed when 3 million were forcibly expelled in 1945–6 on the basis of the Potsdam agreement. The constitution guarantees rights for minority languages, however there are 13 municipalities with German minority constituting 10% of population, which qualifies for such provisions.[25] There is no bilingual education system in Western and Northern Bohemia, where the German minority is mostly concentrated. However, this is in large part due to the absence of German-speaking youth, a heritage of the post-war policy of the Communist government.
According to the 2001 census there remain 13 municipalities and settlements in the Czech Republic with more than 10% Germans.[25]
Many[citation needed] representatives of expellees' organizations support the erection of bilingual signs in all formerly German-speaking territory as a visible sign of the bilingual linguistic and cultural heritage of the region, but their efforts are not supported by some of the current inhabitants, as the vast majority of the current population is not of German descent.
The German-Czech Declaration of 21 January 1997 covered the two most critical issues—the role of some Sudeten Germans in the breakup of Czechoslovakia in 1938 and their expulsion after World War II.[26]
Another influential minority are Greeks. Large numbers of Greeks arrived in Czechoslovakia during the end of the Greek Civil War. The first transports of Greek children arrived in 1948 and 1949. Later, more transports, also including adults, arrived.[27] They were partly leftists, communists and guerillas with their relatives, hence the willingness of Czechoslovak government to allow the immigration.[28] This was viewed rather as a temporary solution. After the defeat of DSE and other left-wing guerillas, the Greeks stayed in Czechoslovakia. In total more than 12,000 Greeks immigrated to Czechoslovakia between 1948 and 1950.[28] Today, there are about 7000 Greeks in the country (3219 according to 2001 census data),[28] mostly in the 3 biggest towns – Prague, Brno, Ostrava – and also in Bohumín, Havířov, Jeseník, Karviná, Krnov, Šumperk, Třinec, Vrbno pod Pradědem and Žamberk (apart from the last one these towns are in Silesia).[29]
The most concentrated linguistic minority in the Czech Republic are ethnic Poles, historically the plurality, today constituting about 10% of the population of Karviná and Frýdek-Místek districts. Poles have the right to use their language in official dealings; the public media (Czech TV and Czech Radio) regularly broadcast in Polish; and there are many Polish primary and secondary schools in the area. The Polish minority has been decreasing substantially since World War II as education in Polish was difficult to obtain, while Czech authorities did not permit bilingual signs to maintain Polish awareness among the population.
The erection of bilingual signs has technically been permitted since 2001, if a minority constitutes 10% of the population of a municipality. The requirement that a petition be signed by the members of minority was cancelled, thus simplifying the whole process.[30] Still, only a couple of villages with large Polish minorities have bilingual signs (Vendryně/Wędrynia for instance).
Another minority is the Roma, who nonetheless have very little influence on Czech policy. Around 90% of the Roma that lived in the Czech Republic prior to World War II were exterminated by the NaziPorajmos. The Roma there now are 80% post-war immigrants from Slovakia or Hungary, or the descendants thereof. In total, the Roma in the CR now number around 200,000.[31] There is Romani press in the CR, written in both Czech and Romani, but Romani radio is broadcast in Czech and there is no Romani television. Romani is also absent from legislative, judiciary, and other political texts but it has recently entered some university and elementary school courses. Life expectancy, literacy, median wage, school enrolment, and other socio-economic markers remain low while Roma compose the majority of prison and habitual offender populations despite accounting for only a fraction of a percent of Czech population.[32]
Immigration
Foreign population in the Czech Republic in 2020
According to the Czech Statistical Office as of 31 December 2020 there were 632,570 legal foreign residents in the Czech Republic (5.1% of the total population).[33] Residents from Ukraine are the largest group (165,356), followed by residents of Slovakia (124,544). There are also Asian immigrant communities in the Czech Republic. The largest is the Vietnamese one (62,842) followed by the Mongolians (10,135) and the Chinese (7,940). During the communist era the governments of Czechoslovakia and Vietnam had a deal concerning the education of Vietnamese people in Czechoslovakia. Vietnamese people came to Czechoslovakia for the first time in 1956 and then the number of new migrants grew until the fall of communism. First generation Vietnamese work mostly as small-scale businessmen in markets. Still, many Vietnamese are without Czech citizenship. One of the towns with the largest Vietnamese communities is Cheb.
Other large immigrant groups come from Russia (41,692), Poland (20,733), Germany (20,861), Bulgaria (17,917) and Romania (18,396).
Czech Republic Net migration data
Year
Net Migration
2002
12,290
2003
25,789
2004
18,635
2005
36,229
2006
34,720
2007
83,945
2008
86,412
2009
28,344
2010
15,648
2011
16,889
2012
10,293
2013
-1,297
2014
21,661
2015
15,977
2016
20,064
2017
28,273
2018
38,629
2019
44,270
2020
26,927
2021
49,969
2022
329,742
2023
94,672
Recent trends
Countries with at least 1,000 people, immigrating each year.[34][35]
Believers identified with another specific religion
120,317
1.7
330,993
3.2
290,034
2.8
577,079
5.5
Believers not identified with any specific religion
705,368
6.8
960,201
9.1
No religion
4,112,864
39.9
6,039,991
59.0
3,612,804
34.2
5,024,416
47.7
No response, unknown
1,665,617
16.2
901,981
8.8
4,774,323
45.2
3,167,774
30.1
Total population
10,302,215
10,230,060
10,436,560
10,524,167
The 2021 census did not contain list of religious organisations and they had to be written by the respondent (unlike in the previous ones). Therefore another 231 thousand people responded with catholicism or similar response, 71 thousand people identified simply with Christianity and 27 thousand people claimed to be protestants or evangelicals. Moreover, after doubling their followers the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia was the 2nd strongest church in 2021 census with 40,681 faithful.
Almost half (45.2%) of the Czech population prefer not to respond to religious questions in the Census. Others claim to have no religion or that they are without religious affiliation (34.2%). In comparison, one in every five claims to have some personal belief (20.6%).
The largest denominations are Roman Catholicism, estimated at 10.3% of the population, Protestant (0.5%), Hussites (0.4%). Other organized religions, including non-organized believers, totalled about (9.4%) (as of Census 2011).
According to the Eurobarometer Poll 2005,[42] 19% of Czech citizens responded that "they believe there is a God", whereas 50% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 30% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force"; the percentage of believers is thus the lowest of EU countries after Estonia with 16%.[43]
See also
Husák's Children – A generation of people born in Czechoslovakia during the baby boom which started in the early 1970s
Notes
^In 2011 a large part of the population did not claim any ethnicity, before the census it was widely mediatized that the question is not mandatory. The vast majority of those who did so are presumed to be ethnic Czechs, number of whom dropped by roughly the same amount that the number of undeclared people rose, circa 2.5 million. If the percentage of those who did not answer the question is added to the total percentage Czech amount, the total percentage of Czech's is estimated to be 89.7% of the population.
^Note: Crude migration change (per 1000) is a trend analysis, an extrapolation based average population change (current year minus previous) minus natural change of the current year (see table vital statistics). As average population is an estimate of the population in the middle of the year and not end of the year.
^In census people can leave the "nationality" field empty and they can also write down any nationality or ethnicity they want. Most Romani people fill in the Czech nationality. Thus, the real number of Romani people in the country is estimated to be around 220,000. Petr Lhotka: Romové v České republice po roce 1989Archived 20 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
^Statistický lexikon obcí v Republice československé I. Země česká. Prague. 1934.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) Statistický lexikon obcí v Republice československé II. Země moravskoslezská. Prague. 1935.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
