Demographic Extinction of Eastern Croatia

Sa？etak The topic of this research is overall (general) population change for three Eastern Croatian counties (Brodsko-posavska, Osje？ko-baranjska, Vukovarsko-srijemska) for the period between two population censuses (2001—2011). The aim is to determine achieved level of overall depopulation, natural decrease, and negative migration balance, same as the intensity type of population change in the period between two population censuses and the type of general population change. Contemporary demographics of the studied area however is an expected outcome of long-term and synergic/cumulative effects of various demographic and non-demographic factors of population change and development, out of which many had disruptive effects both on the demography and socio-economic development/progress of Eastern Croatia. Conducted analysis undoubtingly indicates that in the studied period Croatian Eastern counties are losing population due to natural and mechanical depopulation, namely, bigger mortality than natality and more extensive emigration than immigration. According to the flgeneral？ population concept/criterion, based on the conducted analysis, the overall depopulation is predominantly determined by negative migration balance, and according to the flpresent？ population concept/criterion by natural population decrease. Therefore, there are numerous, mainly long-term, demographic, social and economic consequences of depopulation and demographic extinction. The one with greatest impact as a long-term demographic effect of depopulation and demographic extinction is a biological composition of the population, thereby, the most important process in the development of the biological population composition of the Croatian East is demographic aging