16 Settlements in Armenia Remain Uninhabited

For years, one of the main issues in Armenia has been the depopulation of rural areas. All authorities have spoken about the need for balanced territorial development, yet the fact remains that even today there are settlements in Armenia that have no inhabitants.

The newspaper "Fact" sent a written inquiry to the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of Armenia to clarify how many settlements in our country have fewer than 100 residents and how many are completely uninhabited. The ministry responded that there are no communities with fewer than 100 inhabitants in the Ararat, Armavir, Gegharkunik, Tavush, Shirak, and Syunik regions.

"In Aragatsotn, the communities of Verin Sasunik, Dpravanq, and Tsaghkasar have populations of fewer than 100 residents, while in Lori, the communities of Halavar and Karaberd also fall below this threshold. There are uninhabited settlements in Lori region (two), Shirak region (three), and Syunik region (11). It is worth noting that these settlements are located within consolidated communities," the ministry’s response stated.

What steps are being taken to ensure infrastructure support for these settlements and to resettle them? "Various socio-economic programs are being implemented in the regions with the funds of the state, international and local organizations. In particular, favorable conditions are being created for investment programs aimed at resettling sparsely populated or abandoned communities and promoting economic development," the ministry responded, as reported by the newspaper.