Regional Differences in Demographic Aging in Croatia and Their Economic Consequences
Regional Differences in Demographic Aging in Croatia and Their Economic Consequences

Author(s): Sanja Pešić, Mirko Pešić, Jasenka Crnković
Subject(s): Labor relations, Demography and human biology, Gerontology, Rural and urban sociology, Economic development, Socio-Economic Research
Published by: Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Ekonomski fakultet u Osijeku
Keywords: demographic aging; regional development; labor market; economic development; economic consequences;
Summary/Abstract: Demographic aging is one of the key characteristics of contemporary development in Croatia, with its intensity not evident to the same degree across the country. The purpose of this chapter is to examine regional differences in demographic aging across Croatian counties and analyze their economic consequences. The starting point of this work is that the age structure of the population may be associated with weaker development potential, a narrower workforce base and greater pressure on health and social care systems, but that this relationship is not linear. Methodologically, the work is based on secondary data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. Empirically, descriptive, comparative and basic correlation analyses of demographic and economic indicators are applied. The analysis includes indicators such as the shares of the population aged 65 and 80 years, the aging index and the age dependency ratio of the elderly population, as well as economic indicators, including gross value added per capita, average net wages and employment. The results show regional differences in demographic aging. It also shows that counties with lower levels of aging achieve better economic indicators, but that higher levels of aging do not necessarily indicate the weakest economic position. The limitations of this work stem from the use of aggregated county data and the fact that available indicators do not encompass all dimensions of regional development that reflect how aging affects the economy. Future research should include longer time series, more detailed levels of analysis, and additional indicators of the labor market, productivity, and service availability. The value of this work lies in understanding the territorially uneven consequences of population aging and in pointing out the need to formulate differentiated regional development policies.

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