Changes in population distribution of Balkan Serbia region between 1961 and 2022

Abstract

Changes in population distribution can significantly affect the geospace organization. The population redistribution occurred due to important demographic and socio-economic changes. The processes of industrialization, deagrarization and urbanization have significantly reshaped the existing zones of population concentration. It is important to emphasize that the process of depopulation is also a significant modifier of population concentration since the population of Balkan Serbia region was reduced to half from 1961 to 2022. In this paper population distribution is analyzed using the concentration index which was applied to 345 settlements of Balkan Serbia region. The research aimed to establish changes in the population distribution which was achieved through a comparative analysis of the concentration index. All settlements are classified into four concentration zones. During both selected years the dispersion zone occupied the largest area (originally 86% of the settlements then 95%). However, in the analyzed period this zone decreased by 140 thousand inhabitants (from 70% to 27%). The three remaining zones are characterized by significant changes too but the zone of extremely high concentration is proof of the intensive population concentration in a small area. The absence of this zone in 1961 points to a more even distribution of the population while the concentration index for 2022 shows that the zone of extremely high concentration included three urban settlements (Pirot, Svrljig and Bela Palanka). Also, as much as 40% of the total Balkan Serbia population was concentrated there. Such disharmony will continue and the existing concentration zones will be further transformed.