In 16 out of 25 municipalities, mostly in the north of Montenegro, negative natural growth was recorded last year, and by far the largest difference between the number of deaths and the number of births was recorded in Pljevlja.
According to Monstat data on the natural population movement by municipality during the previous year, Montenegro recorded a positive natural increase (+644) last year, meaning that a total of 6.964 citizens were born and 6.320 died.
For years, the record holder for negative natural increase has been the municipality of Pljevlja, where the number of deaths last year was 218 higher than the number of births. In the northernmost Montenegrin municipality, 160 children were born last year, and 378 residents died.
After Pljevlja, the largest negative natural increase is in Cetinje, where 78 more citizens died last year than children were born. The negative natural increase in Cetinje is almost three times lower than in Pljevlja. In the Montenegrin Royal Capital in 2024, 142 children were born, and 220 citizens of that municipality died.
Negative natural growth was also recorded in Nikšić (-66), Mojkovac (-62), Herceg Novi (-42), Plužine (-41), Kolašin (-36), Bijelo Polje (-35), Šavnik (-27), Andrijevica (-30), Berane (-28), Danilovgrad (-26), Gusinje (-4), Kotor (-9), Petnjići (-18) and Žabljak (-14).
The largest natural increase last year was in Podgorica (+833), where 2.360 children were born and 1.527 citizens died.
Budva (+182) and Rožaje (114) follow, and in all others, a natural increase of less than plus 80 was registered.
In 2020, Montenegro recorded a negative natural increase (-196) for the first time since World War II. That year, 7.082 children were born in Montenegro, and 7 residents died. Negative natural increase in 278 was registered in 2020 municipalities.
The largest negative natural increase in Montenegro was registered in 2021, when the number of deaths exceeded the number of births by 2.105. In Montenegro, 2021 children were born in 7.024, and 9.129 died. Only in Tuzi, Rožaje, Podgorica and Budva was there no negative natural increase recorded that year.
Negative natural growth (-50) was registered in Montenegro in 2022, when 7.008 children were born and 7.058 people died.
After three years, the first positive natural increase in Montenegro was registered in 2023, when the number of births exceeded the number of deaths by 686. 7.002 babies were born, and 6.316 citizens died.
The natural increase in 2010 in Montenegro was +1.885, and until 2017 it was above a thousand.
MIGRATION AND MARRIAGES
Podgorica is the municipality from which the most residents left last year, but also where the most people moved in. 44 citizens left the capital of Montenegro, and 92 moved in.
The largest difference between emigrants and immigrants last year was in Rožaje (-13), Kotor (-11) and Pljevlja (-9). Only one resident moved to Pljevlja last year, and nine moved away.
+883 was the natural increase in Podgorica, and was the largest in the country
Nikšić (-8) and Bijelo Polje (-6) also have a negative difference between emigrants and immigrants, while Žabljak was at zero because one resident each moved to and from that municipality.
In Montenegro, 2.940 marriages were concluded last year, and 786 were divorced.
In Pljevlja, during 2024, 104 marriages were concluded, and 25 were divorced.
A large number of divorces were registered in Podgorica (382) and Kotor (98).
The number of marriages in Kotor is only 27 higher than the number of divorces.
In Bar, 266 marriages were concluded and 89 were divorced. In Šavnik, only one marriage was concluded last year, in Kolašin and Mojkovac 8 each, in Plužine 9, and in Žabljak 10.
Vraneš: Measures are yielding results, but it takes time
Commenting on the poor demographic picture in Pljevlja, the Mayor of the Municipality, Dario Vraneš, told "Vijesti" that the measures taken by the local government to increase the natural population growth and reduce population emigration have yielded results, but that they need time to have their maximum effect.
"For the first time in 15 years, we have an increase in the number of newborns. It takes time for all measures to yield real results, but it is a great success that we have stopped the further decline," said Vranes.
In 2020, Montenegro recorded a negative natural increase (-196) for the first time since World War II.
He recalled that as one of the measures aimed at improving the birth rate, the local government began paying child benefits to all children from the territory of the municipality almost a year and a half ago, for which more than 1,3 million euros are allocated annually.
Children under 18 years of age receive a monthly allowance of 30 euros, and beneficiaries of family material security and disability benefits receive 50 euros each.
As of September 1, the municipality will pay unemployed pregnant women and mothers a monthly allowance of 450 euros.
In order to keep young families in Pljevje, the Municipality has also started subsidizing the interest on housing loans for young married couples who do not have a resolved housing issue. The Municipality finances a maximum of 100 euros of interest per month, for a period of up to 10 years, provided that the housing loan was approved in the year of the public call, or the year preceding the year of the public call. Young married or unmarried couples and their children are eligible for the subsidy, provided that on the day of the public call, at least one of the married or unmarried partners is not older than 45 years.
The Municipality of Pljevlja also allocates money to co-finance the costs of medically assisted fertilization for citizens...
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