Demographer: Maybe 80,000 fewer people in Serbia at the end of the year

Demographer Goran Penev estimated that the data of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia on the number of deaths and births in the first five months of this year show that it is possible for Serbia to have 80,000 fewer inhabitants at the end of the year.

He stated how the data indicate that a very unfavourable mortality trend recorded in March and April was interrupted in May 2021.

Penev said that 10,525 people died in Serbia in May, which is a decrease of somewhat over 2,000 deaths compared to the situation in March and April this year.

„However, the smaller number of deaths in May is around a quarter higher than the number of deaths in the same month last and the year before, that is, higher than any monthly number of deaths in 2019,“ he said.

According to him, the number of live births in May (4,762) is slightly higher than in April, but is 2.7 percent lower than in May 2020, and as much as 13 percent lower than in the same month in 2019.

When it comes to the scale of this year’s negative population growth, the fact that it amounted to 37,000 during the entire 2019 is very illustrative.

„The predictions for 2021 are certainly not encouraging. If this year’s average negative population growth on daily basis is maintained, the difference between the number of deaths and the number of live births could reach 80,000 by the end of the year,“ the demographer estimated.

Izvor: Beta

Foto: Beta