Areeya Amor D.

Ongoco

MST-Biology

The 2019 Population in Croatia - Implications in the environment and future resources

Populations are made up of individuals of a single species in a place. The increase or

decrease in a population depends on the reproductive fitness and life span of these individuals

(Chapman & Reiss, 1999). Its population size is influenced by environmental factors including

space, food and water, the possession of territories, predators and other unpredictable factors

including diseases and natural catastrophes. Thus, uncertainties in these factors whether in small

or large scale play a crucial role and important to the fate of the population.

Croatia is a country that lies along the Mediterranean, Southern and Central Europe, this

makes the country to have diverse climates. According to World Population Review (2019) the

country experienced a decrease of 0.6 percent population from 2018, with a current population of

4.28 million and a population density of 73 people per square kilometer.

2019 POPULATION IN CROATIA

100+ 00.02
-0.01 0.19
90-94 -0.11 0.66
-0.52 1.4
80-84 -1.01 1.9
-1.28 2
70-74 -2.07 2.46
-3.31 3.53
60-64 -3.62 3.85
-3.4 3.61
AGE

50-54 -3.23 3.37

-3.25 3.29 FEMALES
40-44 -3.53 3.55
-3.67 3.61 MALES
30-34 -3.32 3.25
-3.32 2.88
20-24 -2.99 2.94
-3.08 2.38
10-14 -2.52 2.38
-2.49 2.33
0-4 -2.3 2.17
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6
PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION IN THOUSANDS
 Fig. 1 Population Pyramid of Croatia in 2019

The population pyramid above shows a type of demographic ageing. It can be

observed that the actively ageing working population among ages 25-34 and 40-54 in both males

and females are reduced in 2019. Also, it reveals that the population of old ages has increased

while the population among 0-14 years or early ages is low. Similarly, a low population percentage

of the early adults and middle ages, responsible in producing the new generation. Hence, a low

birth-rate and reproductivity could be the possible effect of this kind of population in the next 10

years, resulting in shrinking of its population. A population with higher dependent older ages, with

a 1.5 children per woman fertility rate. Its natural depopulation is closely related to the process of

population ageing, or rather the decrease in the population due to the death rate being higher

than the birth rate (World Population Review, 2019 Revision).

This type of population pyramid is common among those European members. With

demographic picture characterized by three processes: ageing, natural depopulation, and spatial

polarization of the population (Croatia.Eu, 2019). Climate, location and the reasons that affected

Croatia’s population is its homogeneity (location or spatial distribution) of Croats, in all the

counties Croats form a significant majority of the population. They make up 90.4% of the

population with small minorities thus, limiting genetic quality and variation.

Fig. 2 National Population Trends

Figure 2 shows the birth rate of the country that has been falling constantly since the

1950s, the death rate has been rising since the 1970s, while in the 1990s the increase in death
rate was mainly because of the war. By 1995 a constant number of date rates are recorded up

until year 2010.

Although countries like Croatia could have maintained their environmental resources

including reducing pollution and sustain future natural resources, a major decline could occur in

its economical sustainability where the particular the community with a higher proportion of older

inhabitants may be less attractive to businesses, the working ages needed by the economy would

also be limited resulting to decrease of suitable staff locally. Other effects of population decline

include high immigration rates and fall of business within the community since the area is

unoccupied.

Reference:

Chapman J. L. & Reiss M. J. (1999). Ecology Principles and Applications. Factors

which regulates population size. 5 , 39-40.

Croatia.eu (2019). Distribution and composition of the population. Retrieved from

https://croatia.eu/article.php?lang=2&id=15

World Population Review (2019 revision). Population of Croatia 2019. Retrieved from

http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/croatia-population/

Population Pyramid Maker - https://populationeducation.org/how-to-build-a-population-

pyramid-in-excel-step-by-step-guide/?fbclid=IwAR0hdZHPhaL1cTAmTx-COi5e37Y-

L_ygE53f6l-yrELak-421zJS6veBwlY