Economic Structures of the Rural Population in Yugoslavia

Abstract

The inter-dependence of demographic and economic development both determines and is reflected in the economic structure of the population. Industrialization and the process of deagrarization have strongly influenced the changes in rural population structures.

The underdeveloped economy of Yugoslavia before the II World War of mostly agrarian character and underdeveloped industry was characterized by excess labor force in villages and substantial agrarian overpopulation. Preferential treatment of industry during the post-war period, based on the outpouring of savings from agriculture, hindered agricultural activity and created discrepancy in the level or industrial and agricultural development. This led to mass migration of rural population into cities and its engagement in non-agricultural activities. Hence, by changing the structure of the economy, the process of accelerated urbanization also changed the economic structure of the population. The transfer of rural population continued throughout the period following the II World War. It was very intensive during certain periods and far in excess of the natural growth in agricultural population. Abandoning agriculture and migration to cities has had numerous negative effects, particularly because of its immoderate and rapid development. Senilization and feminization of villages practically left them without labor force, while agriculture became a neglected economic activity. Based on the 1981 census, 45.5% of population in non-urban settlements of Yugoslavia were economically active, 4.9% were self-employed, while 49.6% were dependents. The rate of economically active population in these settlements was somewhat higher than for the total urban and non-urban population. The economically active population in non-urban settlements is still most highly concentrated in the agricultural sector, followed by industry and mining. Thus, in 1991, 77.6% of the economically active population of central Serbia were employed in these three sectors (of which 58.1 % in agriculture). The other three sectors with relative importance are construction, transport and communication, and trade.

The decline in agricultural population is one of the most significant changes in the social and economic structure of population in Yugoslavia. In the period from 1953 to 1991, it declined by over 3 million persons, while its share in the total decreased almost four times. Based on the 1981 census, 93.9% of total agricultural population of Yugoslavia lived in villages. At the same time, it accounted for 43.9% of population in those settlements. The downward tendency in agricultural population has continued in recent years as is shown by the 1991 census data for territories in which it was fully conducted.

With the decline in agricultural population there was also recorded a decline in the number of persons actively engaged in agriculture as well as a decline in their share in the work force of non-·urban settlements_ Based on the 1981 census, almost every second person living in these settlements was an agricultural producer. General rate of economic activity of agricultural population amounted to 59.7% and was higher than the rate for total non-urban population (45.5%) because of higher engagement of border age categories of the economically active population in agricultural activities.