The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing a continuous fall of the number of inhabitants, and the Zenica-Doboj Canton is not an exception. According to the Federal Development Programming Assessments, the CC was in mid 2024. He had 349,477 inhabitants, which is about 10,000 less than 2013. year, when 359,619 inhabitants were recorded in the list.
Zenica – a loss of nearly 4,000 people
The city of Zenica, the largest municipality in the canton, recorded particularly worrying data. Estimated number of inhabitants in 2024. year amounts to 106,962, while according to the 2013 list. There were 110,663 inhabitants. It’s a reduction for 3,701 people in just one decade.
This trend indicates the continuous departure of young people, negative natural increment and weak economic opportunities as factors that shape the demographic image of the largest city of ZDK.
Loss in all major municipalities of the canton
A similar decline records other municipalities in the canton:
- Maglaj: 22,057 inhabitants in 2024 (decline from 24,980 from 2013)
- Zavidovići: 35.988 → 34.151
- Kakanj: 37.441 → 36.263
- Birch: 14.168 → 12,838
The only municipality with a slight increase is Tešanjwhich with 43,063 inhabitants of 2013 increased to 43.927 in 2024. years.
Comparison with other cantons
| Canton | Census 2013 | Estimation 2024 | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarajevo Canton | 413.593 | 421.531 | + 1.9% |
| Tuzla Canton | 445.028 | 429.443 | -3.5% |
| Zenica-Doboj Canton | 359.619 | 349.477 | -2.8% |
| Una-Sana Canton | 273.261 | 259.586 | -5.0% |
| Canton 10 | 84.127 | 76.640 | -8.9% |
Zenica-Doboj Canton is so in the middle of the negative trend.
Although Tešanj shows positive indicators, most other municipalities lose the population. The City of Zenica, as an administrative and industrial center, faces serious challenges, from migration to low birth ratings, writes Zenit.
