Population

According to the 2011 census, the administrative district of Zlatibor has 286,549 inhabitants (data from the Institute of Statistics of the Republic), i.e. about 4% of the total population of RS. The average population density is 45 inhabitants per square kilometre, which means a significant decrease in both parameters and speaks of a pronounced depopulation process in the area. The administrative district of Zlatibor is a demographically vulnerable area. The entire district is characterised by a negative rate of natural population growth, with Kosjerić recording the largest negative growth (-10.7 per 1,000 inhabitants), followed by Požega with -9.3 and Nova Varoš with -7.9 per 1,000 inhabitants). The municipality of Sjenica has the only positive natural growth (1.1 per 1,000 inhabitants).

Partly due to negative natural growth and partly due to migration trends, the number of inhabitants decreased by 26,847 persons between the two censuses, while there were 49,277 thousand fewer inhabitants compared to the 1991 census. The decrease was recorded in all municipalities, but was most pronounced in the municipalities of Prijepolje, Priboj and Sjenica. Only these three municipalities have 25,573 fewer inhabitants than in the 1991 census. 

The average age of the population in the Zlatibor district is 42 years, which is on par with the national average. The oldest municipality is Kosjerić with an average age of 45 years and the youngest is Sjenica with an average age of 37 years.

The majority of the population is made up of Serbs (over 82%) and Bosniaks (almost 13%).

Most residents have secondary education – over 48% of the population over the age of 15, while over 23% have primary education. Over 11% of the population have higher education.

According to the data of the last census, the share of employed persons in the total number of inhabitants of the Zlatibor administrative district is 42.67%, which is slightly higher than the national average (41.34%). Arilje, Požega, Bajina Bašta and Užice have the highest percentage of employed population, while Sjenica, Kosjerić and Priboj have the highest percentage of dependent population.

According to the data from the National Labour Office, on the territory of the Zlatibor administrative district, in February 2018, there were 27,583 unemployed people, or 9.6% of the total population of the district, of whom slightly more than 50% are women. The majority of the unemployed have completed the third level of vocational education (about 31%), while with the seventh level of vocational education about 6% of the total number of unemployed are unemployed. The largest number of job seekers is in the 50-59 age group (26%).

Priboj and Sjenica have the highest share of unemployed in the total number of unemployed in the Zlatibor administrative district, 19%, while Čajetina and Kosjerić have the lowest, 2% each.