The demographic decline slowed pace in Moldova last year. The number of newborns was higher than the previous years, while the birth rate and death rate showed improvements, program analysis for the United Nations Population Fund Victor Lutenco told a news conference, Info-Prim Neo reports. “Compared with other states, especially from the CIS, Moldova made demographic progress. In order to make the situation better, policies are needed to favor the numerical growth of the population,” Victor Lutenco said. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the number of newborns in 2008 was 39,018, up 2.8% (1,045) from 2007. 51.5% of them were boys. The ratio of boys to girls was 106: 100. Last year, 41,948 persons died, down 2.6% (1,102) from a year earlier. In 2008 Moldova had a population of 3.572,7 million – 1.717,5 million men and 1.855,2 million women. The ratio of men to women was 100: 108. Earlier, demographers expressed concern about the demographic situation in Moldova. Foreign expert Wolfgang Lutz told a news conference that in order to cope with a demographic crisis, the authorities should implement a well-planned strategy, a program that would provide for the reformation of the education and health systems and improvement of the labor market system and would help solve the economic problems that made Moldova one of the poorest countries in the world. According to the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis of Austria, in 2130 Moldova will have a population of only 1.5 million.