Montevideo, Dec 11 (NationPress) The national census conducted in 2023 recorded a total of 3,499,451 residents in Uruguay, marking a rise of 2.5 percentage points from the 2011 figures, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE). Despite this increase, the fertility rate saw a decline, with the number of children born per woman decreasing from 1.8 to 1.7. The census also noted that there were 31,385 births and 34,678 deaths reported in the previous year, as per the Xinhua news agency.

INE director Diego Aboal commented on the situation, stating, "We are facing negative population growth unless immigration offsets this trend, or we might be on the verge of population decline." He further mentioned a significant drop of 18,000 births over the past eight years.

The census indicated that the influx of foreign residents in Uruguay has increased by 4 percent since 2011.

Montevideo remains the largest city in the country, with a population of 1,302,954, accounting for 37 percent of Uruguay's overall population.