Demographic challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina represent a key obstacle to the country’s long-term development. Negative natural growth and mass emigration of young and working-age population threaten future economic and social stability. Each of the administrative levels – the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republika Srpska and the Brčko District – is working on adopting and implementing strategies for demographic recovery, but their effectiveness depends on the synergy of all these policies.
Key problems and causes of demographic decline
According to estimates, Bosnia and Herzegovina could lose half of its population by 2070 if current demographic trends continue. According to research, young people often cite corruption, political and economic instability, and inadequate opportunities for personal and professional development as the main reasons for leaving the country.
These reasons have been mentioned so many times that they begin to lose their weight if they are not concreted with examples from everyday life. One of the most important aspects affected by these problems is the formation of a family. Corruption, political and economic instability, as well as the lack of adequate opportunities for development, directly affect young families, although this may not seem obvious at first glance. Health and financial security, as well as a stable social environment, are necessary for the creation and maintenance of a family.
The social environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina is still not sufficiently encouraging for women, considering the present challenges of gender inequality. This is reflected in the fact that women who decide to become mothers often take on the burden of unpaid work, including caring for household members and housework, which often forces them to choose between family and career. Although fathers in Bosnia and Herzegovina have the right to maternity leave since 2016, only 0.36% of them used this right. According to the research of the Sarajevo Open Center “Father on maternity leave”, many fathers were not aware of this right, nor were their employers informed. Nevertheless, about 70% of the surveyed fathers stated that they would have used the maternity leave if they had been better informed.
Our ancestors often said that it takes a whole village to raise a child. However, in modern society, which is increasingly moving away from collectivist values towards individualistic ones, young families today often do not have adequate support and understanding from the community. Young parents and those planning to start a family need state support through more flexible working conditions, better paid maternity leave, an increase in the number of institutions for day care and early and preschool child care, as well as better integration of women into the labor market. Also, a greater focus on eradicating outdated gender norms that limit the equal distribution of parental and professional responsibilities is necessary.
Strategic approaches
The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has focused on addressing demographic challenges through the development of the Demographic Development and Recovery Strategy, while the Republika Srpska and the Brčko District are focusing on demographic development through the Social Inclusion Strategy, or Social Inclusion Strategy. These documents were developed with the aim of improving employability, education, healthcare, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, and, among other things, creating a favorable social and economic environment.
According to the “Analysis of the Position and Needs of Youth in BiH”, the majority of young people express dissatisfaction with the current living and working conditions in the country, which motivates them to leave. Involving young people in decision-making and policy-making processes is key to increasing their interest in staying. The priority should be to create concrete opportunities for education, employment and social engagement.
Positive examples from countries like Ireland can serve as inspiration. Ireland has undergone a significant demographic transition, currently has the highest birth rate in Europe and has had a higher rate of immigration than emigration for 20 years. This example shows how strategic policies can reverse negative demographic trends and ensure more stable social development.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s demographic recovery requires policy coordination at all levels of government. While each entity and the Brčko District are developing their own strategies, their implementation and mutual coherence will be key to achieving long-term results. Supporting youth, investing in families, and developing marginalized areas must be a priority to halt negative demographic trends and ensure a more stable and prosperous future for all citizens of BiH.
The changes start at the local level, so we invite you to register your local self-government units to the Public call for submission of applications for the assessment of local self-government units and the acquisition of the youth-friendly community certificate in order to together emphasize the importance of contributing to the demographic recovery of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Source: mladi.org
