Country for old men: By 2030. there will be only old folks in Serbia. And they will leave alone

In Serbia, according to the census of 2011, 17.25 percent of the population is older than 65 years, and that percentage could rise to 21 percent by 2030 if this trend continues. 

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As announced from the Red Cross of Serbia, demographic projection for Serbia, according to the data of research "The situation of elderly people on village", predicts that the share of people older than 80 years old will be 5 percent.

Commissioner for Equality Brankica Jankovic said at a presentation of the research that such demographic structure of Serbia gives the right to "search for solutions and to propose it to the relevant state authorities."

The director of the Red Cross of Serbia Dragan Radovanovic said that the reason for the investigation was accelerated depopulation of villages and towns urbanization.

- The situation is particularly difficult in the villages far from the cities, because the medical and social services are significantly lower in those areas that the ones that are closer to city centers - said Radovanovic.

The research results show that from 2002 to 2011, the rural population decreased by 311,139, or by 10.9 percent.

Sociologist Gradimir Zajic said that the villages are being "feminized" because the average age of women is higher than men. 

Foto: Telegraf

56% of women live on village whose average age is 75.1 years, while the average age of men is 73.9 years. 10 percent of the citizens is older than 85 years - said Zajic.

Farmers and housewives, in his words, make up 59 percent of the rural population and 38 percent are the workers and employees.

He added that 88 percent of the residents have personal income, of which 38 per cent are agricultural pensioners, and 43 percent are age and disability pensioners.

According to data from the survey, 34 percent of households in the country's are made from one person, and in 63 percent of households there is no one younger below 65 years.

Zajic said that 42 percent of households are working only in the garden, which is alarming data.

- The respondents, 26 percent of them said they do not have enough money, 11 percent said that they lack everything, while seven percent said that they have everything they need - explained Zajic.

The study was done by the Red Cross of Serbia with the support of United Nations Population Fund (UN) and the Commissioner for Equality.

(Telegraf.co.uk / Beta)