Minister of Demography Ivan Šipić told the ceremonial session of the Municipal Council that demographic renewal is not just statistics, but creating conditions for young people to stay and start families.
The Municipality of Zmijavci lost 19.24 percent of its residents between the two censuses, from 2011 to 2021. However, fresh data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics show signs of recovery: in 2024 and 2025, a positive natural increase of seven residents was recorded, and the migration balance in 2024 was balanced.
Demography was at the center of the ceremonial session of the Municipal Council held on the occasion of the Municipality Day and the feast of Saint Lawrence. As the envoy of the Prime Minister, Minister of Demography and Immigration Ivan Šipić attended the session.
The numbers are relentless and show why demography in Zmijavci is not an abstract topic. Losing nearly every fifth resident in just one decade is hard to compensate with a single measure. Therefore, in recent years, local policy has combined cash benefits for newborns, housing relief measures, and investments in children's facilities.
For 2026, the Municipality has defined a clear scale of childbirth benefits. For the first child, 500 euros are paid; for the second, 1,000 euros; and for the third and every subsequent child, as much as 4,000 euros. Additionally, young families can count on exemption from paying utility fees and assistance in purchasing or renovating their first property.
State investments in Zmijavci over the past two years exceed 260 thousand euros. The Ministry of Demography and Immigration allocated a total of 261,816.93 euros during 2025 and 2026. The funds were directed toward preschool education programs, construction of children's playgrounds, and educational, cultural, and sports facilities.
In 2026 alone, 79,500.40 euros were secured. Of that, nearly 39,760 euros were earmarked for equipping and purchasing play equipment for the preschool education program at the Zmijavci Elementary School. The remaining 39,740.40 euros were allocated for the construction and arrangement of a children's playground in Mečiljevo.
Demographic renewal is not just a matter of statistics, but of the survival of Croatian places and creating conditions in which young people can stay and start families, said Minister Ivan Šipić.
In Zmijavci, the coming year will show whether the positive indicators from 2024 and 2025 can grow into a more serious demographic trend. After a population decline of more than 19 percent, a few years of positive natural increase is certainly a good sign, but it is still not proof of a lasting turnaround.
