In less than two decades, the number of minors in Montenegro has decreased by 20 thousand, and the number of mothers in their early twenties has more than halved in that period.
And while some believe that these alarming data, based on Monstat statistics, show that the state is not taking into account demographic recovery, others claim that the cause is the development and progress of the nation.
Available Monstat data show that at the beginning of last year, there were a total of 154.396 residents under the age of 19 in the country, and in 2000, more than 174.000.
The number of live births in 2016 was about 1.600 less than in 2000, while the number of young mothers, aged between 20 and 24, more than doubled in that period.
Psychologist Radoje Cerović told "Vijesti" that the data on the reduction of minors by 20.000 must be interpreted in the context of others, because nothing in statistics can be taken as an isolated figure, but "it would be said that it speaks of the aging of the nation, that is, the increase of the average age citizen".
"It is a phenomenon that is met with great mystification and manipulation, as well as political abuse. In fact, the trend of the aging of the nation, the decrease in the birth rate and the later birth of children is something that is in no way characteristic for us more than for any other country that is geographically close to us", Cerović believes.
He says that all countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have the same trend of lower birth rates and fewer marriages, more divorces and overall aging of the population.
Independent MP Aleksandar Damjanović, on the other hand, claims that the obvious negative demographic trends, if they continue, will lead to the fact that in thirty years there will be at least 50.000 fewer citizens in Montenegro than there are now, that is, less for the population of a larger city like Bijelo Polje.
"When, in addition to the decline in the birth rate, we take into account the increasingly massive economic migration and departure from the country, in most cases permanent, of our citizens, especially the younger and educated population, the scale of the demographic decline becomes enormous."
Damjanović believes that in the medium term this threatens the foundations of the functioning of the state and that the last alarm is to involve the most important state institutions in terms of stopping these long-term negative trends and that demographic policy be among the most important state priorities.
"Bearing in mind that some serious attempts to encourage positive demographic trends, such as the Law on Social and Child Protection in the part of allowances for mothers with three or more children adopted by the Parliament, were cruelly thwarted by the joint effort of the Constitutional Court and the Government, and that there is no announcements of serious, alternative, demographic policies, it is obvious that the government does not want or know how to deal with this problem", said Damjanović.
He concluded that one cannot talk about demographic recovery without economic and social measures and putting tax and social policy at the service of encouraging families and having children, systemic measures for economic growth and employment of young people who would ensure existence in Montenegro.
The development and progress of society leads to an aging population
"It is about global regulation mechanisms that are most pronounced in the most developed countries. All that we count on the development and progress of the nation also leads to weaker demographic development, i.e. death.
Educational systems, the labor market, women's equality, pension systems, medical care, legal systems, police protection, are just some of the possible social causes. We don't need anyone to defend us from attackers, to feed us when we get old. Half of our children will not die from childhood diseases and hunger, women will get a job and have a career. "All this makes the birth of dozens of offspring pointless and ultimately leads to demographic implosion and aging," says Cerović.
A woman gives birth to an average of 1,8 children
The total fertility rate, which represents the average number of children a woman gives birth to during the reproductive period, was 2018 in 1,8, while the total fertility rate, which enables maintaining the size of the population, is 2,1.
Monstat data show that the fertility rate has not exceeded 2000 since 1,9. That rate has been declining for decades, and the highest was in 1961, when one woman gave birth to an average of 3,37 children. The birth rate in 2016 was 12,2, and in 1961 it was 27,4. The data also show that there has been a significant reduction in the infant mortality rate, which was 2016 in 3,4, and as high as 1961 in 61,4.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
