Demographic and social determinants of population development in the Croatian Podunavlje region

The paper presents and analyses some of the more important demographic and social determinants of population movement and development in the Croatian Podunavlie region within the post thirty years. It has been GOD. established that demographic ("internal") factors of 3 population development in this part of Croatia are showing increasingly unfavourable features. There is a deeply progressing situation of overall, natural and emigrational depopulation as well as demographic ageing on the demographic "scene". Considerable demographic war loss, especially In the domain of forced migrations and war mortality during the Croatian War of Independence and in the post-war period have significantly reinforced the influence of destabillsation determinants of population development, especially a fall in birth rate, emigration and ageing. Within this context, the demographic determinants of social development and economic progress of the Croatian Poclunavlie region are becoming narrower and more modest. A ray of optimism has been given by data gathered in a poll conducted in 2003. An encouraging attitude towards the effects of possible measures of population and family policy can be observed.