In Croatia, there are great differences in natural and mechanical population movements
between individual counties. Counties with significant development lags in relation to the
Croatian average record a higher negative migration balance, lower birth rates, higher
death rates, and the population is growing older. The objective of the paper is to analyse
natural and mechanical population movements in the counties of Osijek-Baranja, PožegaSlavonia,
Brod-Posavina, Vukovar-Srijem, and Virovitica-Podravina. This will be achieved
by analysing 2001 and 2011 Census as well as analysing the available official data on
migratory movements of the population between the counties and outside of the Republic of
Croatia (RC) for the past five years. In the next step, on the basis of a calculation, the current
population size in the above-mentioned counties and its (possible) decrease will be estimated
in comparison with the 2011 Census. In the second part of the paper, life expectancy will be
calculated for RC and East Croatian counties, because it is one of the indicators of the
quality of life of the population and general level of development of an area. It will be
estimated whether, and to what extent, East Croatia lags behind the Croatian average, and
what are the effects of migration, especially of young, working-age population, on labour
supply and developmental prospects of the economy.