Prof. Roko Mišetić, PhD, and Tomislav Belić, PhD, at the International Conference "Information Society 2026"

On October 6, 2026, Prof. Roko Mišetić, PhD, and Tomislav Belić, PhD, from the University Department of Sociology at the Catholic University of Croatia, participated in the Demographic and Family Analyses conference held at the Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana as part of the 29th International Multiconference Information Society 2026. They presented their paper entitled "Cohort Fertility, Childlessness and Parity in Croatia: Local Patterns and National Changes."
 

The paper analyzed trends in cohort fertility, childlessness, and parity distribution in Croatia between 2001 and 2021. The findings indicate that while fertility postponement remains a key driver of fertility changes, a decline in completed cohort fertility alongside a sharp increase in childlessness has emerged after 2011. Concurrently, pronounced urban-rural disparities persist, while the historically dominant two-child norm is gradually weakening. The analysis also revealed that the recent drop in cohort fertility is primarily linked to a declining proportion of women entering motherhood, whereas the average family size among mothers has shown considerably less change.