Drastic drop in the number of newborns in Croatia

(Patria) - The dramatic drop in the number of newborn children in Croatia continues, reports HRT.

In the first nine months of this year, fewer than 24,000 children were born in Croatia, which could mean that by the end of the year, there will be fewer than 32,000, which was the number last year.

Almost all counties have a negative natural increase, with the worst situation in Lika-Senj, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, and Karlovac counties, and the best in Međimurje.

For comparison, in 1997, 55,500 children were born in Croatia, after which this number has been continuously falling.

The hospital in Gospić has fewer and fewer deliveries; only 189 children were born this year.

- Last year, 2023, we recorded the lowest number of newborns, only 222. I think this is extremely negative and that demographic revitalization of these areas really needs to be worked on.

This is a beautiful area, very sparsely populated. It is actually populated like sub-Saharan Africa, says the director of the General Hospital Gospić, Sandra Čubelić.

The birth rate situation is better in Međimurje. They have four times more births than Lika-Senj County.

- Last year, 973 children were born in our maternity ward, and so far this year, 762 children have been born, which is, unfortunately, a drop of about ten percent, says Marko Škoda, head of the Department of Gynecology with Polyclinic and Day Hospital in Čakovec.

At the state level, there is no reason to rejoice; Croatians are getting older and are among the most demographically endangered in the world. The Ministry knows which incentive models to use.

- Classic population policy that stimulates childbirth, selective immigration policy given that we have a large number of our people in emigration, stopping the emigration of young people, and directing the young population to areas outside cities, emphasizes Stjepan Šterc, special advisor to the Minister of Demography and Emigration.

It remains to secure budget funds and move from words to deeds, writes HRT.