engleski

Depopulation and Population Ageing of Rural Areas in Bjelovar-Bilogora County (1961 - 2011)

Bjelovar - Bilogora County is located in the central part of the Croatian Pannonian - Peripannonian space. In spite of good location within Croatia and favourable physical-geographic characteristics, this county was marked by very negative demographic characteristics in last fifty years. In relation to the county as a whole, the demographic situation in the rural parts is more unfavourable than in urban settlements. The total number of rural population in the period 1961 - 2011 was reduced from 138361 to just 73709 (decline of 46.7%). It is indicative that the population of rural settlements began to decline during the fifties of the 20th century, but the intense population drop begun between 1961 and 1971. In all subsequent census periods the county experienced depopulation. It is evident that in the year 1964 the rural settlements had natural depopulation of 276 residents or 2.1‰. By the year 2011 the natural depopulation increased to 6.1‰. During that year (2011) the total amount of the natural depopulation was 451. Constant natural depopulation (during the period of last 50 years) together with emigration resulted in significant population ageing. The ageing index increased from 47.5 in 1961 to 112.2 in 2011 and only few settlements still had more young than old people. The continuation of these negative demographic trends in the next decades will lead to further population ageing which will cause continuation of depopulation.

Bjelovar-Bilogora County; total depopulation; natural depopulation; emigration; population ageing

nije evidentirano