Demographic history of Vojvodina

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Vojvodina's demographic history reflects its rich history and its former location at the border of the Ottoman and Habsburg empires and at the confluence of various peoples, making it a hotbed of invasion, colonization, and assimilation processes. Currently there are more than 25 ethnic groups living in Vojvodina and six official languages.

Contents 1 Demographic history 2 17th, 18th and 19th century data 2.1 1690 2.2 1715 2.3 1720 2.4 1820 3 Results of different censa in Vojvodina between 1880 and 2002 4 Future demographic trends 5 See also 6 References 7 Notes 8 External links

[edit] Demographic history

The area of Vojvodina had been inhabited since the Paleolithic period. Before the Roman conquest in the 1st century BC, Indo-European peoples of Illyrian, Thracian and Celtic origin inhabited the region.

During the Roman rule, original inhabitants were heavily Romanized, later to become known by the name of Vlachs. After the end of the Roman rule, the Romanized inhabitants of the area escaped to Balkanic mountains (where they mixed with South Slavic Serbs and Croats) as well as to the Transylvanian mountains (where they later were known as Romanians). ^[1]

Vojvodina was invaded by Turanic nomads such as the Huns and Avars, as well as Germanic Gepids and Langobards, so after their military decayed, they were quickly absorbed by the local population, without leaving much ethnic traces in population of the region.

During the early medieval migrations, Slavs (Severans, Abodrites, Braničevci, Timočani and Serbs) settled today's Vojvodina in the 6th and 7th centuries, ^[2] but pockets of Romanised population remained in the area. ^{[citation needed]} Until the Hungarian conquest in the 10th century, the region had dominant Slavic population.

The region was conquered by the Hungarian Principality (later Hungarian Kingdom) in the 10th century, and Hungarians started to settle in the area. Hungarians mainly settled in northern part of the region, where they lived mixed with Slavs. Until the late 12th and early 13th century, the region was mainly populated by Slavs, after which the ethnic relations changed in favour of Hungarians. The presence of Slavs in the area increased again in the 14th century with the arrival of many Serbs from the south. The larger number of Hungarians settled in the region since the 13th century. During the Hungarian rule, much of the native local Slavs were Hungarized. By the opinion of some researchers, the non-Hungarized descendants of these local Slavs are present-day Šokci. ^[3]

Though Serbs were part of the aboriginal Slavic population in the territory of Vojvodina (especially in Srem), an increasing number of Serbs began settling from the 14th century onward. By 1483, according to a Hungarian source, ^{[citation needed]} as much as half of the population of the Vojvodina territory at the time would have been made up of Serbs. Because of the presence of the large Serb population, in many historical records and maps, which were written and drawn between 15th and 18th centuries, territory of present day Vojvodina was named Rascia (Raška, Serbia) and Little Raška (Little Serbia).

The Ottoman Empire took control of Vojvodina in the 16th century, and this caused a massive depopulation of the region. Most of the Hungarians and many local Slavs fled from the region and escaped to the north. The majority of those who left in the region were Serbs, mainly now engaging either in farming either in Ottoman military service.

Under Ottoman policy, many Serbs were newly settled in the region. During the Ottoman rule, most of the inhabitants of the Vojvodina region were Serbs. In that time, villages were mostly populated with Serbs, while cities were populated by Muslims and Serbs.

The Habsburg Monarchy took control of Vojvodina among other lands by the treaties of Karlovci (1699) and Požarevac (1718). Following the establishment of the Habsburg rule, the Muslim population fled from the region. During the Habsburg administration, many new Serb settlers from the Ottoman Empire immigrated to the region. In 1687, the northern parts of the region were settled by ethnic Bunjevci.

Many other non-Serb colonists also settled in the territory of present day Vojvodina during the 18th and 19th century. They were mainly Germans and Hungarians, but also Rusyns, Slovaks, Romanians, and others. Because of this colonization, Serbs lost the absolute ethnic majority in the region, and Vojvodina became one of the most ethnically diverse regions of Europe.

Still, Serbs remained the largest ethnic group in the region. According to 1910 census, Serbs comprised 33.8% of the population in the territory of present day Vojvodina. After Serbs, the most numerous ethnic groups were Hungarians (28.1%) and Germans (21.4%).

In 1918, Vojvodina became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and new Serb settlers started to come to the region. As the consequence of the Second World War events, most of the German population fled from the region after this war and they were replaced with Serb and Montenegrin colonists. According to the 1948 census, Serbs were absolute majority in Vojvodina again (51%), and this percent rose to 65% in 2002 census. The multiethnic character of the region is also preserved.

[edit] 17th, 18th and 19th century data

[edit] 1690

In 1690, about 210,000 Serbs lived in Vojvodina (excluding Srem). In this time, almost entire population of the region was composed of Serbs, also including some Šokci.

[edit] 1715

According to the Austrian census in Bačka from 1715, Serbs, Bunjevci, and Šokci comprised 97.6% of population.

[edit] 1720

The 1720 census in Bačka recorded 104,569 citizens, including:

• 76,000 Orthodox Serbs (73%)
• 22,000 Bunjevci and Šokci (21%)
• 5,019 Hungarians
• 750 Germans

After the Treaty of Passarowitz (1718), the first Austrian census recorded in (western) Banat about 20,000 citizens, mostly Serbs.

[edit] 1820

The 1820 census in Bačka recorded 387,914 citizens, including:

• 170,942 Serbs, Bunjevci, and Šokci (44%)
• 121,688 Hungarians (31%)
• 91,016 Germans (23%)

[edit] Results of different censa in Vojvodina between 1880 and 2002

1880 census

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	416,116	35.5
Germans	285,920	24.4
Hungarians	265,287	22.6
Croats, Bunjevci & Šokci	72,486	6.2
Romanians	69,668	5.9
Slovaks	43,318	3.7
Rusyns & Ukrainians	9,299	0.8
Others	10,635	0.9
TOTAL	1,172,729	100

1890 census

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	457,873	34.4
Hungarians	324,430	24.4
Germans	321,563	24.2
Croats, Bunjevci & Šokci	80,404	6
Romanians	73,492	5.5
Slovaks	49,834	3.7
Rusyns & Ukrainians	11,022	0.8
Others	12,525	1
TOTAL	1,331,143	100

1900 census

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	483,176	33.7
Hungarians	378,634	26.4
Germans	336,430	23.5
Croats, Bunjevci & Šokci	80,901	5.6
Romanians	74,718	5.2
Slovaks	53,832	3.8
Rusyns & Ukrainians	12,663	0.9
Others	12,394	0.9
TOTAL	1,432,748	100

1910 census

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	510,186	33.8
Hungarians	424,555	28.1
Germans	323,779	21.4
Romanians	75,223	5
Slovaks	56,689	3.7
Croats	34,089	2.3
Rusyns	13,479	0.9
Others	72,804	4.8

1921 census

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	526,134	34.7
Hungarians	370,040	24.4
Germans	333,272	22
Croats	122,684	8.1
Romanians	65,197	4.3
Slovaks	58,273	3.8
Rusyns	13,664	0.9
Others	25,182	1.7

1931 census

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	528,000	33
Hungarians	413,000	26
Germans	343,000	21
Croats	120,000	7
Romanians	78,000	5
Slovaks & Czechs	67,000	4
Rusyns	21,000	1
Jews	21,000	1
Others	37,000	2

1941 census

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	577,067	35.3
Hungarians	465,920	28.5
Germans	318,259	19.4
Croats	105,810	6.5
Others	169,311	10.3

1948 census

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	841,246	50.6
Hungarians	428,932	25.8
Croats	134,232	8.1
Slovaks	72,032	4.3
Romanians	59,263	3.6
Germans	31,821	1.9
Montenegrins	30,589	1.9
Rusyns and Ukrainians	22,083	1.3
Macedonians	9,090	0.5
Roma	7,585	0.4
Slovenes	7,223	0.4
Russians	5,148	0.3
Czechs	3,976	0.3
Bulgarians	3,501	0.2
Yugoslavs	1,050	0.1
Others	5,441	0.3

1953 census

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	865,538	50.9
Hungarians	435,179	25.6
Croats	127,027	7.5
Slovaks	71,153	4.2
Romanians	57,218	3.4
Montenegrins	30,516	1.8
Rusyns	23,038	1.4
Macedonians	11,622	0.7
Others	78,254	4.6

1961 census

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	1,017,713	54.9
Hungarians	442,560	23.9
Croats	145,341	7.8
Slovaks	73,830	4
Romanians	57,259	3.1
Montenegrins	34,782	1.9
Rusyns	23,038	1.4
Macedonians	11,622	0.7
Others	83,480	4.4

1971 census

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	1,089,132	55.8
Hungarians	423,866	21.7
Croats	138,561	7.1
Slovaks	72,795	3.7
Romanians	52,987	2.7
Montenegrins	36,416	1.9
Rusyns	20,109	1
Macedonians	16,527	0.8
Germans	7,243	0.4
Others	94,897	4.9

1981 census

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	1,107,375	54.4
Hungarians	385,356	18.9
Croats	119,157	5.9
Slovaks	69,549	3.4
Romanians	47,289	2.3
Montenegrins	43,304	2.1
Rusyns & Ukrainians	24,306	1.2
Germans	3,808	0.2
Others	234,628	11.6

1991 census N.B.: the third largest ethnic group in 1991 census were Yugoslavs (about 8%), but in this listing they are counted in the "other" category.

Ethnicity	Number	%
Serbs	1,151,353	57.2
Hungarians	340,946	16.9
Croats	74,226	3.7
Slovaks	63,941	3.2
Montenegrins	47,289	2.3
Romanians	38,832	1.9
Rusyns	17,889	0.9
Macedonians	16,641	0.8
Others	263,970	13.1

2002 census

	Number	%
TOTAL	2,031,992	100
Serbs	1,321,807	65.05
Hungarians	290,207	14.28
Slovaks	56,637	2.79
Croats	56,546	2.78
Yugoslavs	49,881	2.45
Montenegrins	35,513	1.75
Romanians	30,419	1.5
Roma	29,057	1.43
Bunjevci	19,766	0.97
Rusyns	15,626	0.77
Macedonians	11,785	0.58
Ukrainians	4,635	0.23
Muslims (by nationality)	3,634	0.18
Germans	3,154	0.16
Slovenes	2,005	0.1
Albanians	1,695	0.08
Bulgarians	1,658	0.08
Czechs	1,648	0.08
Russians	940	0.05
Gorani	606	0.03
Bosniaks	417	0.02
Vlachs	101	0
Others	5,311	0.26
Regional identity	10,154	0.5
Undeclared	55,016	2.71
Unknown	23,774	1.17

[edit] Future demographic trends

The general demographic trend in Vojvodina is a low natural increase of population. According to the 1991 census, the average years of age of the population of the province were 37.7. However, the average years of age were different among various ethnic groups. The largest ethnic group, Serbs, had average years of age of 37.4. Other ethnic groups mostly had even larger average years of age: Romanians 41.9, Hungarians 41.2, Slovaks 40.1, Croats 41, etc. The opposite case were three ethnic groups with younger population: Roma 26, Albanians 29 and Muslims by nationality 29.

According to the 1991 census, the natural increase of population in Vojvodina was -1.8%, while in 1997 it was -4%. Since the percent needed just for the simple maintenance of the existing number of population is 2.3, it is expected that Vojvodina soon will have to import a labour.

[edit] See also

• History of Vojvodina
• Ethnic groups of Vojvodina
• Serbs of Vojvodina
• Montenegrins of Vojvodina
• Hungarians in Vojvodina
• Slovaks in Vojvodina
• Romanians of Serbia
• Pannonian Rusyns
• Bunjevci
• Šokci
• Demographic history of Novi Sad

[edit] References

1. Dr Dušan J. Popović; Srbi u Vojvodini; knjige 1-3; Novi Sad; 1990.
2. Dr Branislav Bukurov; Bačka, Banat i Srem; Novi Sad; 1978.
3. Milan Tutorov; Banatska rapsodija - istorika Zrenjanina i Banata; Novi Sad; 2001.
4. Borislav Jankulov; Pregled kolonizacije Vojvodine u XVIII i XIX veku; Novi Sad - Pančevo; 2003.
5. Lazo M. Kostić; Srpska Vojvodina i njene mannine; Novi Sad; 1999.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Trajan Stojanović, Balkanska civilizacija, Beograd, 1995.
2. ^ Dr. Drago Njegovan, Prisajedinjenje Vojvodine Srbiji, Novi Sad, 2004.
3. ^ Mile Nedeljković, Leksikon naroda sveta, Beograd, 2001.

[edit] External links

• The Ethnic Structure of the Population in Vojvodina
• Ethnic structure of the population of the present territory of Vojvodina (1880-1991)