Geographical distribution of elderly people in Croatia.

The authors outlined the geographical distribution of individuals displaying longevity in the Republic of Croatia. Elderly people, aged 80 years and older, have been the subject of this study and were viewed in several aspects including the number of elderly people and age-specific mortality rate by districts. Data for the years 1981 and 1991 were reviewed. In 1981 there were 73,052 (1.6%) persons aged 80 or older. Ten years later in 1991 their number had increased to 107,256, which was 2.2% of the whole population. Most of the elderly people live on the islands, in the district of Dubrovnik and in Lika, which is in the continental part of Croatia. There are more women than men among those aged 80 years and older Age-specific mortality rate in 1981 in Croatia was 170 and in 1991 151 per 1,000 elderly people. In women the rate was 162 in 1981 and 141 in 1991, per 1,000 elderly people. The death rate was higher in men; in 1981 it was 201 and in 1991, 172 per 1,000 elderly people. We can see that the specific mortality rate had fallen in 1991 compared to 1981. The age specific mortality rate varies from district to district. In 1991 the lowest, 110 per 1,000, was in Lika, and the highest in the districts of Varazdin (182 per 1,000), Bjelovar (178 per 1,000) and Zagorje (175 per 1,000). The death rate was higher amongst elderly men (172.31 per 1,000) than elderly women (141.65 per 1,000). The smallest number of those aged 80 years and older with a high death rate is found in Slavonia. The opposite--a high number of elderly people and a low specific mortality rate--can be seen in the district of Lika. On the islands the number of elderly people is high, especially women, and surprisingly, the specific mortality rate is relatively high as well.