After the achievement of independence, the process of forming a new system of territorial administration in the Republic of Armenia began in 1991. The reason was that in Soviet Armenia, as well as in other republics of the Soviet Union, the state administration system was highly centralized. Therefore, it was necessary to make a transition to a more decentralized democratic system, which was the imperative of the time. Organization issues of state and local authorities largely depend on the territorial structure of the state, as the activities of territorial administration and local self-government bodies are carried out within the boundaries of administrative territorial structural units. The administrative territorial division of each state implies a comprehensive system of political, economic, social and geographical divisions of the territory specified by the Constitution or other international acts.

In the paper, through the authors’ calculations of the gross regional output at basic prices, the disproportionate development of the RA territory in 2008-2020 was analysed and assessed according to the regions of the Republic of Armenia and the city of Yerevan. As a result the patterns and features of the territorial disparity were revealed, as well as the specialization of the regions was evaluated according to the economic activity degree and the existence of a regression relationship between the increase (decrease) and economic growth (decline) of the RA territorial development variation coefficient in 2008-2020 was revealed through the econometric model. As a result of the analysis of the indicators characterizing the territorial asymmetry, a high level of asymmetry was recorded both between the city of Yerevan and the regions, as well as between the regions, which was due to the degree of specialization of individual regions according to the types of activities and the share of these types of activities in the RA economy.

Since the end of the 20th century, the world has registered a decline in the global fertility rate. According to UN forecasts, the fertility decline rate in the world will continue up to mid 21st century and by 2045-2050 the average number of births to a woman of reproductive age will be 2.2, and in 2100- 1.9. Consequently, many countries around the world have adopted measures to promote the birth rate. In almost all the countries, including the Republic of Armenia, the socio-demographic policies of birth promotion is mainly implemented through two methods: legally defined vacations and benefits. In the mid-20th century, the fertility rate (the average number of children a woman would bear in her lifetime if she experienced the current age-specific fertility rates throughout her reproductive years) in Armenia decreased from 4.7 births, and in 2020 it was already at 1.66. During the observed period, the decline in the reproduction rate was registered in the country, this was also negatively impacted by poverty, emigration, high unemployment, the Artsakh war and the pandemic. If the birth rate continues to decline, Armenia will be in a much more dangerous position in the near future, as the population of reproductive age will continue to decline, which, in turn, will lead to a decrease in the reproductive capacity of the population. The paper addresses the reasons, measures taken to improve and their impact on the decline of the birth rate both in Armenia and in a number of foreign countries.

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The demographic change in the world has created new challenges for almost all countries. Changes in the demographic process give rise to both positive and negative phenomena, depending on the challenges that each country faces in the given period. The unprecedented decline in the birth rate, the increase in international migration, and the expected life expectancy over the last few decades have had a dramatic effect on the age 193 structure of the population. At the global level, the growing trend of demographic aging has become significant. Currently, one of the most urgent issues for Armenia is overcoming the negative tendencies of population reproduction, migration, and demographic aging. Negative trends in the demographic situation are closely related to structural changes in the labor market and social protection issues