2014 Set to be Demographic Disaster for Croatia

Croatia experienced somewhat of a demographic disaster last year, with records set for the least amount of babies born, number of marriages and number of divorces. According to preliminary statistics, 2014 is set to be worse…

For the first time since records were kept, last year there were less than 20,000 marriages in Croatia (19,169), less than 40,000 babies born, and the number of couples to get divorced climbed to nearly 6,000. But 2014 looks set to be worse. In the first 9 months of 2014 there were around 600 less babies born than in the same period last year, and 200 more couples that got divorced. The only positive statistic was the dramatic decline in the number of marriages had stopped, and this year there were 400 more marriages than in the same period in 2013.

Over the last few years there have been thousands more deaths than births in the year, with the number of births steadily declining. In 2014, for the first time, it is forecast that there could be only 39,000 births. The demographic situation will have economic effects for the country in the future. Already the need for school teachers is on the decline. In 2004 there were 55,000 first graders starting school. That number reduced to 45,000 the following year, and by a further 6,000 seven years later. The other obvious problem is there will not be enough workers to pay for the pensioners, with the ratio or workers to pensioners already teetering on the brink today.