During a press conference held yesterday, NKR National Statistics Agency Director Manoush Minasyan stated that during January-June of this year 1,306 babies were born in the country; a rise of 16% over the same period last year. Mr. Minasyan attributed the rise to government programs designed to spur the birth rate and families raising three or more children. He stated that in the first half of 2009, families giving birth to three or more children had risen by 115 over last year. Mr. Minasyan added that the number of deaths registered in the country during the first six months of 2009 was 634; a drop of 11.5% over 2008. Three cases of still-births were reported this year as compared to eight during the first half of last year. He stated that there were no cases of mothers dying while giving birth and that the median age of females giving birth was twenty-seven and that the median age of first-birth moms was twenty-four. Mr. Minasyan noted that marriages during the first half of 2009 dropped by 88.1% over the same period last year, arguing that this was the result of the state program to financially assist newly wedded couples to the tune of 300,000 AMD. He added that divorces have dropped by 29% so far this year.