The ratio of natural and migration growth component as a determinant of functional urban regions’ development in the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

Based on the types of population movement model, in the paper is determined the extent of demographic processes that influenced the formation of functional urban regions in Serbia. Demographic processes expressed by immigration-emigration and the natural component of the population development in the settlements of the Republic of Serbia from 1981 to 2002, aimed to identify spatial, demographic and functional changes and determine the degree of spatial differentiation of the Republic of Serbia through respecting the specificity of its territorial parts. Especially is emphasized the period from 1991 to 2002 when Republic of Serbia had a demographic decline in its entirety, with certain differences in the spatial manifestation but also in the intensity of relationship between natural and migration component of regional areas of the country. In Vojvodina, the migration balance had high values with whom he was able to compensate the consequences of negative natural growth. In the settlements of central Serbia the low values of migration balance even more emphasized negative natural increase, which together reflected on the overall demographic decline at the national level. Functional urban regions are recognized as the instruments of balanced regional development of Serbia. Generally are given the possible directions of further functional spatial development that could perspectively influence the rational organization of the territory of the Republic of Serbia.