Country Comments

Averaging fewer than 1.5 children per woman the past decade, Serbia has seen a gradual decline in its population averaging about 30,000 people a year. The country’s current population and consumption is twice as large as what is sustainable.

In April 2021 the AP news reported Serbia has faced mounting problems that include poor garbage management and high air pollution caused by the use of poor-quality coal and other pollutants. Rivers have been polluted by toxic industrial waste and many cities, including Belgrade, lack good sewage and wastewater systems. Impoverished and marred by corruption after years of crisis in the 1990s, many Balkan countries have pushed environmental issues to the sidelines. (1)

Ironically the government is encouraging more babies with pronatalist policies that will burden the country and environment.

In the mid 2000s laws addressing gender equality were instituted but in practice women are under-represented in decision-making in all spheres of Serbia’s social, economic, and political life. Studies have found that half of women in Serbia have experienced domestic violence, and women and Roma are considered the groups most subject to discrimination. Discrimination and structural barriers lead to a gender pay gap and significantly lower labour force participation rates among women. (2)

(1) https://apnews.com/article/europe-belgrade-serbia-coronavirus-pandemic-air-pollution-6420c0db044b6654e33bc6ecf4c1649a

(2) https://eca.unwomen.org/en/where-we-are/serbia