Prague has crossed a symbolic threshold this year, surpassing 1.4 million residents for the first time.

Fresh figures released by the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) show that the capital added nearly 2,900 people during the first nine months of 2025, even as the rest of the country saw its population slip.

The pace of growth reflects a clear pattern: more people are moving to Prague than leaving it, while the number of deaths continues to exceed births.

According to the data, the city welcomed 45,403 newcomers between January and September. During the same period, 41,784 people moved out, resulting in a net migration gain of 3,619 residents.

Natural population change, however, remained negative. The number of deaths — 8,955 — outpaced the 8,217 births recorded in the city. That gap pushed Prague’s natural decrease to 738 people, continuing a trend observed nationwide.

Marriage and divorce figures added further insight into demographic shifts. Over the first three quarters of the year, 4,997 couples married in the capital, while 1,757 marriages ended in divorce.

Across the country, the picture looks different. The Czech Republic’s total population fell by more than 12,300 people, slipping below 10.9 million.

The decline was driven mainly by the sharp difference between deaths and births — a natural decrease that the CZSO described as the steepest for this period since the founding of the independent Czech Republic.

Alongside Prague, only the Central Bohemian Region bucked the national decline. That region, which now counts nearly 1.473 million inhabitants, saw its population rise by more than 6,400 in the first nine months of the year, making it the most populous in the country.

For Prague, the continued inflow of new residents underscores ongoing pressure on housing, transport, and public services.

With population growth tied almost entirely to migration, the city’s long-term planning will likely depend more on mobility trends than on birth rates.

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