The population is 106,1 thousand people, including 72,7 thousand living in towns, 32,2 thousand - in the rural area and 1,200 people Ц in the settlement of Streshin. Employable people Ц 32,7 thousand, people under 30 Ц 30,460, students Ц 16,582, pensioners Ц 23,300, participants of the Great Patriotic War Ц 882 people.

The ethnic pattern in the town is the following: 79.8 per cent are Belarusians, 15.1 per cent Ц Russians, 2.8 per cent Ц Ukrainians, 0.5 per cent Ц Gypsies, 1.8 per cent Ц other ethnicities.

The region numbers: 88 per cent of Belarusians, 8.3 per cent of Russians, 2.1 per cent of Ukrainians, 0.3 per cent of Gypsies, 0.3 per cent of Poles, 1 per cent of other ethnicities.

On the whole the region numbers 56 ethnicities.

In January-July 2005 some 823 people were born in the region /651 Ц in 2004 same period/, 855 people died /681 Ц in 2004 analogous period/.

In January-July 2005 the region registered 455 marriages /362 Ц in 2004 same period/ and 220 divorces /183 in the analogous period a year ago/.

In January-July 2005 some 985 people arrived in the region /938/ and 756 Ц left the region /725/.