Emigration from Croatia from 1900 to 2001: Demographic Consequences of the Centuries-Old Process

• Main Author: Ivo Nejašmić
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies 2014-12-01
• Series: Migracijske i Etniĉke Teme
• Subjects: emigration; migration balance; population losses; demographic consequences of emigration; Croatia
• Online Access: http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/200187
• ISSN: 1333-2546; 1848-9184

In the period between 1900 and 2001, about 2.3 million people emigrated from the present-day territory of the Republic of Croatia. Immigration mitigated the outflow of “human capital”; it replaced almost a half of the total emigrated contingent. The migration “balance deficit” took 33.4% of the average population number, or 52% of the total natural change (increase). Only a few countries have had such a significant population loss due to emigration. Total Croatian population losses in the observed period amount to about 1.89 million people, and some categories have the following share: negative emigration balance 63.3%, war losses 32.7% and epidemics 4.0%. If there were no emigration (i.e. in a hypothetical “closed population”), Croatia would have at least 6.22 million people in 2001 or 40.1% more than the registered number. The long-term (delayed) effects of emigration have also come to the fore. The emigration of the most vital age groups has led to the narrowing of fertile cohorts, and consequently to a decrease in birth rates and increased mortality. In the early 1990s, negative natural change was recorded. Several factors affected biological (natural) depopulation, but emigration took the first place. Continuous and strong emigration, and negative net migration respectively, is one of the main reasons underlying the fact that Croatia belongs to the group of ten European countries with the oldest population. After the 19th century, in which the population of Croatia doubled, and the 20th century, when the country saw weak growth (40.4%), the 21st century will be marked by depopulation. A highly negative migration balance from the analyzed centennial period has an important role among many factors having impact on such Croatian demographic perspective.