DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLICS IN THE DECADES PRIOR AND AFTER THE BREAKUP

Abstract

Demographic features of the population in all the republics of former Yugoslavia were far better prior to the war which started in this area at the end of the 20th century. Although certain republics experienced decline of some demographic indicators during the 1980s, there were no assumptions that several decades later the situation would significantly worsen. During the period of almost half a century mean population age increased for almost ten years in all the republics. The share of the older persons increased, and the share of the younger persons decreased, which resulted in the increase of the age index. War victims, as well as emigration and decrease in the birth rate and the increase in mortality rate with other factors led to further decline in demographic state year by year. Population number fluctuations have been analysed for the period 1880-2011 (2013). Mean age, ageing index and youth index have been calculated for the demographic analysis. Demographic indicators were calculated on the basis of pre-war censuses (1971 and 1981) as well as on the basis of the censuses conducted at the beginning of the war and after the war in the 1990s and then compared. Precisely, the census data from 1991 were used together with two censuses conducted during the 21st century. The latest two censuses were not conducted at the same time in all newly formed countries, which additionally complicated the analysis.