Alarming trends in Croatia’s demographics

The latest data released by Croatian Bureau of Statistics showed only 36,647 children were born in the country last year, the lowest in the last 100 years. This is the first time the number fell below 37,000, which is almost twice less than in 1960 when 76,156 children were born.

There are at least two reasons for such tragic numbers. First is the inadequate population policy and the second is the growing emigration of the younger population due to relatively high unemployment underpinned by the alarming lack in progress for creating new job opportunities.

Reacting to the Croatian government’s new policies on demographic revitalization State Secretary for the Ministry of demographics, Marin Strmota, resigned from his position as a matter of protest against what he said were measures that simply will not work. “True, this is a big factor, as a demographer I believe…