Podgorica, (MINA) – If current demographic trends continue, Montenegro will have around 518,000 inhabitants by 2050, and 326,000 by 2100, said Mileva Brajuskovic Popovic, director general of the Directorate for Demography at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography.

 

Speaking at the conference “Demographic Resilience of Montenegro: Population as the Basis of Sustainable Development”, organized to mark July 11, World Population Day, she said that demographic issues are not merely about statistics, but determine the future of the country.

 

 

 

“That is why demographic issues shape almost all development policies of a country”, stated Brajuskovic Popovic.

 

She stressed that demographic projections are not predictions of an inevitable outcome, but rather a warning of the consequences if current trends are not addressed.

 

Brajuskovic Popovic added that the “demographic clock is ticking” and that there is no more time to delay, as demographic changes are taking place every day.

 

 

 

“Taking into account the statistics from 1961 to last year, one can see that the number of births has been steadily declining, culminating last year when the historical minimum of birth was recorded”, Brajuskovic Popovic explained.

 

Speaking about the external migration of the population, she said that they do not have available data, but that estimates can be made.

 

“It is estimated that between 2011 and 2023, about 94,000 people left Montenegro, which is a very significant number for a small country. The goal is not to stop migration, but to encourage circular migration”, stated Brajuskovic Popovic.