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Shrinking Regions in a Shrinking Country: The Geography of Population Decline in Lithuania 2001-2011

Author

Listed:
  • Ubarevi?ien?, R?ta

    (Lithuanian Social Research Centre)

  • van Ham, Maarten

    (Delft University of Technology)

  • Burneika, Donatas

    (Lithuanian Social Research Centre)

Abstract

Shrinking populations have been gaining increasing attention, especially in post-socialist East and Central European countries. While most studies focus on the population decline of capital cities and their regions, much less is known about the spatial dimension of population decline on the national level. Lithuania is one of the countries which have experienced very high levels of population decline in the last decades. This study uses Lithuanian Census data from the years 2001 and 2011 to get insight into the geography of population change for the whole country. The results show a sharp population decline in Lithuania of 17.2% between 1989 and 2011, with the decrease being more intense during the second decade of the period. The population dropped in most areas, including the main cities, but increased in the regions surrounding these cities. The predictive models show a clear geographical dimension of population decline, but also reveal that population composition and investments play a role in the process of decline.

Suggested Citation

  • Ubarevi?ien?, R?ta & van Ham, Maarten & Burneika, Donatas, 2014. "Shrinking Regions in a Shrinking Country: The Geography of Population Decline in Lithuania 2001-2011," IZA Discussion Papers 8026, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8026
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    Cited by:

    1. Mats Johansson & Pia Nilsson & Hans Weslund, 2014. "Demographic and economic trends in a rural Europe in transition," ERSA conference papers ersa14p445, European Regional Science Association.
    2. Amir Reza Khavarian-Garmsir & Ahmad Pourahmad & Hossein Hataminejad & Rahmatollah Farhoudi, 2018. "A comparative assessment of economic and physical inequality between shrinking and growing cities: a case study of Khuzestan province, Iran," International Journal of Urban Sciences, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 104-122, January.
    3. K. B. Usha, 2014. "Social Consequences of Neoliberal Economic Crisis and Austerity Policy in the Baltic States," International Studies, , vol. 51(1-4), pages 72-100, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    suburbanization; population decline; shrinking regions; post-socialist transition; Lithuania;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • P20 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - General
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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