Vidmantas Daugirdas

Abstract Natural decrease and out-migration are the main processes causing depopulation of rural areas in most of the easternEU countries. The causes of depopulation are varied as well as numerous and might differwithin the same country or even a region. Both internal and international migration play an important role inthepopulation decline in Lithuania, but their relative importance differ from region to region. Depopulationleads to a falling population density and therefore to the shrinkage of social networks, especially in the rural areas. It has broad consequences for the life quality, causes pessimistic attitudes and threatens the futuredevelopment of the sparsely populated areas. There is little hope that the existing demographictrends will change in the nearest future. However, the analysed processes are usually perceived purely negatively, thoughitis not true in somerespects.

Keywords: sparsely populated areas, emigration, depopulation, rural development, Lithuania

Donatas Burneika [donatas.geo@gmail.com], nstitute of Sociology at the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences Department of Regional and Urban Studies A. Goštauto str. 9, LT-01108 Vilnius: Lithuania
Rūta Ubarevičienė, Institute of Human Geography and Demography Lithuanian social research center Goštauto 11, LT-01108 Vilnius: Lithuania

Citation

APA: Burneika, D., Daugirdas, V., & Ubarevičienė, R. (2014). Migration as a factor of development of the depopulating areas in East EU countries – The case of Lithuania. Europa XXI, 27, 79-95. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2014.27.6
MLA: Burneika, Donatas, et al. "Migration as a factor of development of the depopulating areas in East EU countries – The case of Lithuania". Europa XXI, vol. 27, 2014, pp. 79-95. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2014.27.6
Chicago: Burneika, Donatas, Daugirdas, Vidmantas, and Ubarevičienė, Rūta. "Migration as a factor of development of the depopulating areas in East EU countries – The case of Lithuania". Europa XXI 27 (2014): 79-95. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2014.27.6
Harvard: Burneika, D., Daugirdas, V., & Ubarevičienė, R. 2014. "Migration as a factor of development of the depopulating areas in East EU countries – The case of Lithuania". Europa XXI, vol. 27, pp. 79-95. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2014.27.6