ZAGREB, Aug 5 (Hina) - Croatia does not have a population policy, according to Alica Wertheimer-Baletic, head of the demography department at the Zagreb Faculty of Economics, who 30 years ago predicted a bleak future for the Croatian
people. "Today Croatia is in a far more difficult situation than it was in 1969, 1970 and 1971 when experts started warning about the possible consequences of adverse demographic trends," the scholar told the Glas Koncila religious weekly. Today Croatia "is recording an increasing natural depopulation rate - the dead surpass the born," she said. The last ten years have seen Croatia record a constant negative natural population growth. According to the State Bureau of Statistics, the natural growth in 1998 was 5,243, a year later it was 6,774 and last year 6,500. Wertheimer-Baletic said three recent public spending reduction measures directly affected the demographic situation in C
ZAGREB, Aug 5 (Hina) - Croatia does not have a population policy,
according to Alica Wertheimer-Baletic, head of the demography
department at the Zagreb Faculty of Economics, who 30 years ago
predicted a bleak future for the Croatian people.
"Today Croatia is in a far more difficult situation than it was in
1969, 1970 and 1971 when experts started warning about the possible
consequences of adverse demographic trends," the scholar told the
Glas Koncila religious weekly.
Today Croatia "is recording an increasing natural depopulation
rate - the dead surpass the born," she said.
The last ten years have seen Croatia record a constant negative
natural population growth. According to the State Bureau of
Statistics, the natural growth in 1998 was 5,243, a year later it
was 6,774 and last year 6,500.
Wertheimer-Baletic said three recent public spending reduction
measures directly affected the demographic situation in Croatia,
namely reduced compensation for pregnant women, reduced maternity
leave, and reduced child's allowance.
She maintains a population policy has to have a certain stability
and continuity, regardless of the incumbent authorities. "An
adequate population policy is the expression of concern for future
generations. There may be variations to a certain degree, but the
policy cannot be partial and short-term, because in that case it is
ineffectual. It must be part of a long-term development strategy,"
she said.
To improve reproduction, a woman should give birth to three
children. The emphasis on the third child and the measures which
encouraged giving it birth have considerably helped the
demographic rehabilitation of Scandinavian countries, said
Wertheimer-Baletic.
According to the first data of the 2001 census, a population
decrease has been recorded in 18 of Croatia's 21 counties. An
increase was recorded in Zagreb County, of nine percent, in Istria
County, of one percent, and Medjimurje County, of 0.4 percent.
The biggest decrease, of 37.6 percent, was recorded in Lika-Senj
County.
(hina) ha