Czech demographics: an ageing country that grows only through migration

Czechoslovakia had a baby boom in the 1970s, driven by a large generation of young parents and generous family policy. Those children, nicknamed Husák's children after the president of the day, are now in their fifties. As they approach retirement they are reshaping the labour market, the pension system and health services. Demography is a slow subject until suddenly it is not.

The Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) publishes the yearly figures, so this piece sticks to trends and to how to read the numbers; a figure copied into an article soon goes out of date.

The long view

The population of the Czech lands grew through the nineteenth century with industrialisation, reaching a peak in the early twentieth. Two world wars, the expulsion of the Germans after 1945, described in Czech Germans and the Sudetenland, and the emigration after 1948 and 1968 removed a large number of people in net terms. The population recovered slowly under communism, then plateaued around ten million, and has grown again since the early 2000s.

In the 1970s the state tried to raise births with marriage loans, family allowances and access to housing, and births peaked in the middle of the decade. After the revolution the opposite happened. Fertility fell sharply, to among the lowest levels in Europe for a few years, as people postponed children in an era of economic uncertainty, housing costs and new career options. It was more a delay than a rejection of children, and a partial recovery followed in the 2000s and 2010s.

Fertility: ups and downs

The total fertility rate, the average number of children per woman over her life, recovered towards the end of the 2010s and then fell again after 2021. Demographers point to high prices, uncertainty after the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, later parenthood, and fewer women in the main childbearing ages because the cohorts born in the 1990s were small. The current rate is in the Statistical Office's latest release. In broad terms, Czechia sits below the level needed to replace its population, like most of Europe.

Mothers are older than a generation ago: the average age at first childbirth has risen by several years since the 1990s. For readers interested in the family support system, see Czech maternity and parental benefits explained.

Longer lives

Life expectancy has risen substantially since 1989 as healthcare improved and risk factors changed. It dipped during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, then recovered. Women live longer than men, as elsewhere. Czech life expectancy remains somewhat below that of Western European countries, and there are regional differences within the country. The healthcare system behind these numbers is explained in how the Czech healthcare system is organised.

The consequence is ageing. The share of people over 65 has grown, and the share of working-age adults is expected to fall in the coming decades. The Statistical Office's projections give several scenarios depending on assumptions about fertility and migration. The pension system and retirement age are political issues for the same reason; if you work here, see the pension system for expats.

Migration: the new engine

For decades Czechia was a country of emigration. Since the 1990s it has become one of immigration, first from Slovakia, Ukraine and Vietnam and later from many other countries. After EU accession in 2004 and the boom that followed, labour migration rose, with workers in manufacturing, construction, logistics and services. Foreign nationals are a visible share of the population: Ukrainians are the largest group, followed by Slovaks, Vietnamese and others (as of 2026; check the Ministry of the Interior).

The largest single change came in 2022, when Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine sent many refugees to Czechia, which granted temporary protection under a special law. Numbers have moved up and down as people returned, moved on or settled, and the terms of protection have been adjusted since. The long-term residence formalities for different groups are explained in Czech visa types explained.

Migration now accounts for most of the growth. In most recent years natural change (births minus deaths) has been negative, and the population rose because more people arrived than left. Whether that continues depends on policy, the labour market and events abroad.

What it means for work

Ageing and a tight labour market are linked. Unemployment in Czechia has been among the lowest in the EU in recent years (as of 2026; check Eurostat), so employers in many sectors compete for staff and rely on workers from abroad. At the same time more people reach retirement age each year than young people enter work. Economists see migration, higher participation among older workers and women, and productivity growth as the main ways to stop the labour force shrinking. For a foreign professional the point is practical: demand for skilled workers is not a passing effect, and the rules in employee cards and Blue Cards explained are the entry route for many.

Where people live

Population is unevenly spread. Prague and the surrounding Central Bohemian Region have grown fastest, drawing domestic and foreign migrants, at a pace that strains housing and transport (see how the Czech housing market is structured). Brno, Plzeň and some commuter belts have grown too. Smaller towns, rural areas, parts of the former Sudeten borderlands and the Ostrava region have seen decline or ageing.

How to read the statistics

Three points. First, check definitions: "population" can mean usual residents, registered residents or a breakdown by citizenship, and the numbers differ. Second, use the Statistical Office's public database for time series and Eurostat for international comparison, where definitions are harmonised. Third, watch for revisions: after a census the Statistical Office revises its estimates, and figures for earlier years can change.

The Statistical Office also publishes regional breakdowns, useful if you are deciding where to open a school, a clinic or a shop.

Frequently asked questions

How many people live in Czechia?

About 10.9 million in recent estimates (as of 2026; check the Czech Statistical Office for the latest figure).

Is the population growing?

Mostly through migration. In most recent years, deaths have exceeded births.

Who are the largest foreign groups?

Ukrainians are the largest group of foreign nationals, followed by other nationalities including Slovaks and Vietnamese (as of 2026; check the Ministry of the Interior).

When is the next census?

Censuses are held about every ten years. The most recent took place on 26 March 2021.