The population of the Czech Republic grew by 18,700 in the first three quarters of 2017, according to official figures released on Tuesday. The country’s population stood at 10,597,500 at the end of September. The rise has been mainly attributed to immigration, in particular from Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.

The number of births in the Czech Republic in the first nine months of the year was very slightly down on the same period in 2016, while the number of marriages grew. Thirty was the most popular age for men to marry, compared to 27 for women.