ZAGREB, May 19 (Hina) - Experts are estimating that the share of youth in the overall population in Croatia will decrease by 30 percent by the year 2050, while elderly citizens will make up for one third of the population,
participants warned at the presentation of the draft national family policy early this week.
ZAGREB, May 19 (Hina) - Experts are estimating that the share of
youth in the overall population in Croatia will decrease by 30
percent by the year 2050, while elderly citizens will make up for
one third of the population, participants warned at the
presentation of the draft national family policy early this week.
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Family policy cannot improve the bad demographic picture of
Croatia, but can improve the quality of family life, Vice-Premier
Zeljka Antunovic said.
The national family policy is one of the government's priorities
and is a foundation for passing measures for family support, but
also needed are social and private solidarity, Antunovic said.
He dismissed criticism that the government had become socially
insensitive, stressing that one cannot expect the state to bare all
the burden of social contributions for families.
Despite the difficulties in the government budget, the right to
children's allowance has been widened, and the right to maternity
pay has become a universal right, she said.
Antunovic added that an increase in maternity pay would not
increase the birth rate, rather, economic development and social
optimism in the long-term population policy were needed.
(hina) lml