The demographic crisis is a challenge that transcends national borders and is becoming an increasingly acute problem in Europe and beyond. While some countries, such as North Macedonia, are recognising the seriousness of the issue and introducing innovative measures, Slovenia, under the leadership of the government of Robert Golob, remains passive. Ignoring demographic trends such as declining birth rates, ageing populations and youth emigration threatens the long-term sustainability of Slovenian society.
At the meeting called the “Demographic Trends, Challenges and Possible Solutions – Preparing Strategic Documents for Demographic Resilience”, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, stressed that the demographic crisis is “silent, long-lasting, systemic and global”.
In North Macedonia, the situation is particularly worrying, with fertility rates falling from 12.5 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2010 to just 8.8 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2024. In 2024, the country experienced a natural population decline of 4,140 people, and in the last four years, it has lost more than 33,000 inhabitants – as if an entire city had disappeared.
Mickoski pointed out that in many municipalities and villages, the first grades of primary schools are closing because too few children are being born. There are fewer and fewer marriages, and more and more people are living alone. “It’s not just about numbers. It is about silence spreading,” he said, stressing that his government is not ignoring the problem, but actively addressing it. Among other things, it is considering introducing additional taxes on unmarried people as part of a broader strategy to boost marriage and fertility.
“It is time for the future. It is time for a country where more children are born,” Mickoski stressed. His government is focusing on measures to encourage young people to start families and encourage the return of emigrants. Among other things, they want to build institutions that “do not waste youth, but nurture it” and create an environment where “motherhood is a blessing, not a burden”.
Slovenia: the passivity of the Golob government
In contrast to the proactive approach of North Macedonia, the demographic crisis in Slovenia is apparently being ignored by the government of Robert Golob. As we have already reported, MP Anja Bah Žibert of the Slovenian Democratic Party (Slovenska demokratska stranka – SDS) recently warned that in 2023, Slovenia had the lowest birth rate in 20 years, and the country was experiencing its seventh consecutive year of negative natural increase. Projections show that by 2060, Slovenia will lose almost 300,000 inhabitants and the proportion of people over 65 will exceed 31 percent.
Despite years of warnings from the profession and the opposition, the government has not taken any serious action. What is more, it has abolished the Demographic Office, which was set up under the government of Janez Janša as a key institution to tackle this challenge. Instead of supporting families and young people, the government has increased financial burdens, rejected proposals for housing and tax breaks, and ignored initiatives to boost fertility. “Demography is not just a statistic, it is the foundation of the future of the Slovenian nation. Ignoring this issue is irresponsible and dangerous,” stressed MP Bah Žibert.
While North Macedonia and other countries such as Hungary or Poland are introducing concrete measures – from financial incentives for families to tax breaks and return programmes for emigrants – Slovenia is lagging behind. Mickoski made it clear that the demographic crisis is a systemic challenge that requires a holistic approach. In Slovenia, however, the government not only fails to recognise the seriousness of the problem, but by abolishing the Demographic Office, it is actively hindering efforts to tackle it. The demographic crisis is not an abstract problem, but a threat that affects the economic stability, social security and cultural identity of a country.
A. H.
