The number of students in Croatian primary and secondary schools has dropped by nearly 50,000 in six years, according to Science and Education Ministry data, Jutarnji List daily reported on Saturday.

The paper says that emigration in recent years, notably of whole families with children, exacerbates the depopulation trends.

The latest ministry data shows that a record-low number of students (461,372) enrolled in primary and secondary schools in the 2019/20 school year — 3,198 fewer than the previous year.

Since the 2013/14 school year, the number of primary and secondary school students has dropped by 47,835, Jutarnji says, adding that there is almost 10% fewer students than six years ago. Every county reports a fall in the number of students except Istria, which is at zero growth, and the City of Zagreb, which has 298 more.

The eastern region of Slavonia recorded the highest decreases over the past six years – by 23.44% in Vukovar-Srijem County, by 22.66% in Pozega-Slavonia County and by 22.46% in Brod-Posavina County.

Still, Jutarnji says, the current school year saw an increase in the number of first-grade students, from 38,371 to 38,658, as well as the smallest difference in the number of students year on year — 3,198 fewer than in 2018/19.