Demographic growth and development of spa places in Serbia

• Published in: Glasnik Srpskog geografskog društva (1948) Vol. 87; no. 1; pp. 69 - 78
• Main Authors: Djurdjev, Branislav, Kosic, Kristina, Dragin, Aleksandra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Serbian Geographical Society 2007
• Subjects: demographic transitions; Serbia; spas
• ISSN: 0350-3593; 2406-078X
• DOI: 10.2298/GSGD0701069D

The paper deals with analysis of population growth and components of demographic growth in five most important spa settlements in Serbia: Vrnjacka banja, Niska banj, Banja Koviljaca. As indices of demographic development, we have analyzed: natural and mechanical movement of population, age and sex, activity and sex, households and apartments in spa places. The finding is that demographic development of spa places in Serbia has been politically influenced. Due to dismantling state territory of former Yugoslavia, the choice of domestic tourist destination for Serbian population became smaller. Because of that, spas became more important tourist destination which fostered demographic growth of those places. The data analysis demonstrated that during the last six decades, population in all spa places increased with higher insensitive compare with the rest of Serbia. This is the result of high inmigration, particularly in the last decade, when the share of this movement was over 90%. The pacing of population ageing in spa places, did not follow ageing of total population in Serbia. Average age in Serbia between 1961-2002. increased for 31.8%, while in spas population ageing was more intensify with 36.4% increase. The number of household showed constant increase from census to census, as well as in Serbia as in each of spa places with no exception. Average size of household in spas in 1948. was smaller than the average in Serbia for almost one member. By the year 2002. the average sizes of households in spas and in Serbia was almost equalized. Spa places suffered sortage of apartments in 1948. By the year 2002. the evidence showed considerable surplus which as the biggest in Vrnjacka Banja spa. The amount of surplus was 15%, which is higher than the average in Serbia. The purpose of this surplus is rent and accommodation of spa visitors. Overall results point out that despite of population decrease of Serbia, spa places enjoy more and more permanent residents. Among the reasons economic stability of spa places (in the areas of services and medical care) should be emphasized, which triggered inmigration increase, outmigration decrease, and slower rate of ageing (despite of small rate of natural increase). U radu se analizira rast broja stanovnika i komponente demografskog rasta pet najznacajnijih banjskih mesta u Srbiji: Vrnjacka Banja, Niska Banja, Sokobanja, Banja Koviljaca i Bukovicka banja. Kao pokazatelji demografskog razvoja analizirani su: prirodno i mehanicko kretanje stanovnistva, starost i pol, aktivnost i pol, domacinstva i stanovi u banjskim mestima. Konstatovano je da je demografski razvoj banjskih mesta u Srbiji bio politicki posredovan. Usled suzavanja drzavne teritorije, suzavao se i izbor domacih turistickih destinacija za stanovnike Srbije. Time su banje postale sve vaznija turisticka destinacija, sto je podsticajno delovalo na demografski rast banjskih mesta. Analiza rasta broja stanovnika pokazala je da se u poslednjih sest decenija populacija u svim banjskim mestima povecavala znatno vecim intenzitetom u odnosu na Srbiju. Tome je u velikoj meri doprinela migracija, posebno u prethodnoj deceniji, koja je na nivou posmatranih banja (ukupno) ucestvovala sa preko 90%. Tempo starenja populacije u banjskim mestima nije pratio tempo starenja ukupnog stanovnistva Srbije. Prosecna starost u Srbije se u periodu 1961-2002. godina povecala za 31,8%, dok je u banjama starenje populacije intenzivnije i za isti period iznosi 36,4%. Apsolutni broj domacinstava konstantno se povecavao od popisa do popisa, kako u Srbiji, tako i u svakom od navedenih banjskih mesta, bez izuzetaka. Prosecan broj clanova u jednom domacinstvu bio je 1948. u banjama skoro za jednog clana manji od republickog proseka, da bi se 2002. godine prosecne velicine domacinstava u banjama i u Srbiji skoro izjednacile. Banjska mesta evoluirala su od manjka stanova po domacinstvu u 1948. do osetnog viska u 2002. koji je najveci u Vrnjackoj Banji. Petnaestak posto prosecno evidentiranog viska stambenog prostora vise je, naravno, od republickog proseka jer sluzi za izdavanje i smestaj posetilaca banja. Rezultati istrazivanja ukazuju da uprkos depopulaciji u Srbiji, banjska mesta imaju sve vise stalnih stanovnika. Jedan od razlog je privredna stabilnost banjskih mesta (u sektorima usluga i zdravstva), sto za posledicu ima povecanu imigraciju, smanjenu emigraciju, a samim tim (uprkos niskoj stopi prirodnog prirastaja) i manju stopu starenja stanovnistva od republickog nivoa.