AP

Shrinking country: Serbia struggles with population decline
By JOVANA GEC
yesterday

BLAGOJEV KAMEN, Serbia (AP) — Uros Trainovic remembers when his small mining village in eastern Serbia was a vibrant home to 200 families, had a school of its own, a doctor and a shop.

How times have changed. Now, 60-odd years later, it’s a ghost village with just eight residents.

The transformation of Blagojev Kamen is not unique in a country that experienced years of war and sanctions in the 1990s following the break-up of Yugoslavia. In a twist of historical irony, one of the causes behind those years of war was the idea of creating a Greater Serbia out of the ashes of the former Yugoslavia.

Near-empty villages with abandoned, crumbling houses can be seen all over Serbia — a clear symptom of a shrinking population that is raising acute questions over the economic well-being of the country. The decline is happening so fast it’s considered a national emergency and the United Nations has stepped in to help.


“This village used to be full of people, I used to go to school here,” the 71-year-old Trainovic recalls.

“It is such a pity and so sad that everybody left ... now there are only few of us and there are no young people any more.”

However it’s measured, the numbers look stark.

According to the World Bank, Serbia’s population of just below 7 million is projected to fall to 5.8 million by 2050. That would represent a 25% fall since 1990.

The Serbian government says the Balkan country is effectively losing a town each year, and that as many as 18 municipalities have fewer than 10,000 people: “We are 103 people less each day.”


https://apnews.com/8767299d712918e495b8713907e6d637

CTPlayer:
There are a number of Euro countries, especially E. Euro with shrinking populations. Hungary is paying couples to
1) get married
2) have kids
3) stay married

More countries should do that.

Appleyard:


Some places in Italy are also experiencing the wahala. It's very painful seeing one's heritage eroding away and there is nothing you can do about it.

Appleyard:


Some places in Italy are also experiencing the wahala. It's very painful seeing one's heritage eroding away and there is nothing you can do about it.

Olominira:

There is a price for everything. The more successful you become the less time you spend with women and kids.

Dikegodspower:
make dem give us free visa na
I will be there by this time tomorrow

Dikegodspower:
make dem give us free visa na
I will be there by this time tomorrow

panafrican:
Heard Japan is also hit by a population decline.

20. Italy: The population is projected to drop from 60.5 million in 2020 to 54.4 million in 2050, a 10.1% decline.

19. Cuba: The population is projected to drop from 11.3 million in 2020 to 10.2 million in 2050, a 10.3% decline.


18. North Macedonia: The population is projected to drop from 2.1 million in 2020 to 1.9 million in 2050, a 10.9% decline.

17. Portugal: The population is projected to drop from 10.2 million in 2020 to 9.1 million in 2050, a 10.9% decline.

16. Georgia: The population is projected to drop from 4.0 million in 2020 to 3.5 million in 2050, an 11.8% decline.

15. Poland: The population is projected to drop from 37.8 million in 2020 to 33.3 million in 2050, a 12.0% decline.



14. Hungary: The population is projected to drop from 9.7 million in 2020 to 8.5 million in 2050, a 12.3% decline.

13. Estonia: The population is projected to drop from 1.3 million in 2020 to 1.2 million in 2050, a 12.7% decline.

12. Greece: The population is projected to drop from 10.4 million in 2020 to 9.0 million in 2050, a 13.4% decline.

11. Romania: The population is projected to drop from 19.2 million in 2020 to 16.3 million in 2050, a 15.5% decline.


10. Albania: The population is projected to drop from 2.9 million in 2020 to 2.4 million in 2050, a 15.8% decline.

9. Japan: The population is projected to drop from 126.5 million in 2020 to 105.8 million in 2050, a 16.3% decline.



8. Republic of Moldova: The population is projected to drop from 4.0 million in 2020 to 3.4 million in 2050, a 16.7% decline.

7. Croatia: The population is projected to drop from 4.1 million in 2020 to 3.4 million in 2050, an 18.0% decline.


6. Bosnia and Herzegovina: The population is projected to drop from 3.3 million in 2020 to 2.7 million in 2050, an 18.2% decline.

5. Serbia: The population is projected to drop from 8.7 million in 2020 to 7.1 million in 2050, an 18.9% decline.

4. Ukraine: The population is projected to drop from 43.7 million in 2020 to 35.2 million in 2050, a 19.5% decline.

3. Latvia: The population is projected to drop from 1.9 million in 2020 to 1.5 million in 2050, a 21.6% decline.


2. Lithuania: The population is projected to drop from 2.7 million in 2020 to 2.1 million in 2050, a 22.1% decline.

1. Bulgaria: The population is projected to drop from 6.9 million in 2020 to 5.4 million in 2050, a 22.5% decline.

https://www.businessinsider.com/the-fastest-shrinking-countries-in-the-world-declining-populations#1-bulgaria-the-population-is-projected-to-drop-from-69-million-in-2020-to-54-million-in-2050-a-225-decline-20

CTPlayer:


Some of that is economics. Not sure about making money have enough to raise kids, some is feminization where women don't want to have kids.
Will be interesting to see if more Men find women through fiance visas.

panafrican:


Many people don't want to get married anymore due to harsh divorce laws that most of the time work against men.