Original scientific paper
The Impact of War on Changes of Demographic Structures in Croatia
Jakov GELO
Abstract
In making estimates of the total population trends in Croatia
in the period between the 1991 census and the year1998,
the author has observed the appearance of several
unsatisfactory (and undesirable) processes in Croatia’s
population in the past eight years. In this paper three of
these are analysed, according to the author’s opinion – the
least desirable processes from the point of view of the future
development of Croatian population. The first is a matter of
total population decrease in Croatia. In 1998 there were
6.5% less inhabitants than in 1991. The second undesirable
process, connected with the previous, is a considerable
disturbance of the Croatian population’s territorial
distribution. The population of Croatian counties is very
uneven. During the twentieth century some areas were
becoming increasingly populated (Croatia’s average
population also grew), while other areas were losing
inhabitants. Between 1991 and 1998 the previously scarcely
populated areas experienced, due to war circumstances, a
further loss of inhabitants, thus making the present situation
even more unfavourable than the one in 1991. Therefore, in
1998 in the 12% of the northwestern Croatian territory
(6,938 km2) lived as much as 35% of the population
(1,476,500 inhabitants), while in nine counties of the central
part of Croatia (Koprivničko – Križevačka, Bjelovarsko –
Bilogorska, Virovitičko – Podravska, Požeško – Slavonska,
Sisačko – Moslavačka, Karlovačka, Ličko – Senjska,
Zadarska and Šibensko – Kninska) comprising 50% of the
Croatian territory (28,271 km2) there was only 24% of the
population (1,004,200 inhabitants). The third important yet
undesirable process is demographic aging, about which a
detailed analysis is also presented with possible long-term
consequences regarding the development of the Croatian
population.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
20316
URI
Publication date:
31.12.1999.
Visits: 2.638 *