Preliminary figures show that there were 36,375 births in Jan-May, down 231 from the same period a year earlier.

The number of deaths was 68,927, 13,880 more than in Jan-May 2020.

The rise in deaths and the drop in the birth rate means that the rate of natural population decline was up by 77% compared with the same period last year, KSH said.

The number of marriages increased, with 24,025 couples tying the knot, 15% more than in the same period in 2020.