With 22.9 percent of the population older than 65, Bosnia and Herzegovina found themselves in the middle of the table of the countries of the world that rapidly old. More precisely, the mentioned percentage of BiH placed at 18. place, immediately after Serbia and Croatia, which are also high on this table, ie Serbia at 17th and Croatia at 14. place.
When it comes to the countries of the region, the list also found Slovenia, which is 23. place. In the first place, Monaco with 36.8 percent of the population celebrated 65. birthday, and immediately behind Japan with a share of 30 percent of the older population. There is a Martinique in the third place of 26.5 percent of the population of older than 65 years, while in the fourth place, Puerto Rico from 25.3 percent, and on the fifth of Italy, in which 25.1 percent were born before 1960. Years ago.
It is the latest view published by the Visual Capitalist based on the report of the World Population Prospects for 2025. year that have been conducted by Bosnia and Herzegovina in Bosnia and Herzegovina among 36 countries around the world with the largest population share of older than 65 years.
In the back of the listed lists there is Lithuania, in which the share of the population is 20.7 percent, and in front of it are Poland with 20.8 percent and the Netherlands with 20.9 percent of the population of the said category. At the bottom of the list are still Sweden, Belgium, Austria and Denmark.
Germany, which has been the main destination for emigrants from BiH, which only during 2023 was reached from our country more than 30,000 inhabitants mostly aged 25 to 40.
The percentage of 22.9 percent does not sound as alarming until the absolute figures shown as as many as 718,000 people currently live in BiH than 65 years, which is a serious problem for the economy of this state, health and pension system and the country’s total future. The trend of birth of a smaller number of children and the fact that the number of deaths has been higher than the number of newborns have been particularly concerned. All of the above has led to the average age of the population in BiH for about 42 years, while the comparison was for about 30 years. Estimates are still more wasted that in the next two and a decade, the average age of the population in BiH is almost 50 years. The problem carries with it all the older population and the eviction of young employers alert for years.
Already, when the percentage of the older population is 22.9 percent, employers face a chronic lack of labor and the need for imports from abroad. In the future, this problem will become increasingly more pronounced, with the negative consequences for investments, innovations and total economic growth.
The younger generations initiate consumption and technological advances, while the older population has different needs, a lower risk propensity and is adapted to new technologies slower. The ratio between workers and retirees is increasingly unfavorable, and in the last three years in the FBiH, the continuous growth of the number of pensioners in relation to the number of employees. In 2022. year, the number of employees in height of 0.94 percent was recorded, while at the same time the number of pensioners grew by 1.08 percent.
The year after the number of employees was higher by 1.14 percent, and the pensioners for 2.42 percent. Last year, the trend continued and the FBiH was recorded in the growth of employees by 1.36 percent, while at the same time this BH was recorded. The entity received 2.08 percent more pensioners. In recent years, two new pensioners come to each new employee in FBiH, which is in the long run, unsustainable and requires retirement reform.
This suggests the urgency of strong demographic measures and pronality policies that will increase the number of families with children, ensure the return of young people from abroad and thus prevent the complete collapse of society, writes Večernji.ba.
