Abstract
Serbia is a demographically old nation, with 17.4 % of its residents being aged 65 years and older in 2011. The previous two decades of turbulent history have significantly affected the demographic picture of this country, and their ramifications remain visible in Serbia's economic, political, cultural, and health spheres. Major demographic forces behind population aging in Serbia can be attributed to lower fertility rates, migrations, and declining mortality (reflecting improvements in overall health leading to a longer life expectancy). In Serbia, low fertility and migrations appear to play major roles, although the relative contribution of recent migrations cannot be measured with accuracy. Patterns of demographic aging vary considerably across different geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural settings. The common denominator throughout present day Serbia is extensive political and economic transition. One would expect that, given sufficient time, this process will result in improved population health, and yet, at this stage outcomes of major health care reform in Serbia are somewhat perplexing. For the second consecutive year, Serbia’s health care system has been ranked at the very bottom of the scale among 34 European countries. It is then no surprise that the elderly represent particularly vulnerable population segment. This paper discusses some of the issues relevant to these demographic patterns of aging and aged care in contemporary Serbia, focusing on the period after 2000.
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Notes
Supplementary private insurance is nowadays available in Serbia but its overall impact remains marginal. First attempts of establishing private "pension funds" go back to the 1990s. They all failed due to the economic turmoil of the time, leading to a total loss of investment that was often transformed into pyramid saving schemes. This created widespread lack of trust that is still visible today, despite significantly improved circumstances. Private health insurance, on the other hand, became available only after 2000. Pronounced disparity between nominal service fees of the Health Insurance Fund and realistic value charged by the private health sector remains a limiting factor.
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