AREAS OF SPECIAL STATE CONCERN IN CROATIA- REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIFFERENCES AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND EDUCATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

A coherent and effective policy of balanced regional development is of vital importance for future growth of Croatia. Current situation is characterised by a very high concentration of economic activity in the City of Zagreb, accounting for 30% of total GDP figure. Areas of Special State Concern (ASSC) represent 15,3% of the total population in Croatia. Demographic and educational characteristics of these areas vary, but are overall of unsatisfactory standard, largely depending on the group within the ASSC. Correlation rank
analysis (Spearman’s coefficient) indicates a weak correlation between the population size of the ASSC in different counties and the level of development of these counties, measured by GDP per capita in 2001. This signifi es the appearance of a major gap between the real economic strength of certain areas and the justifi cation of their ASSC classifi cation. This is especially evident in the counties containing areas of the so called first and second group.
Areas of the third group do not demonstrate such discrepancies, and it can be therefore expected, that in the future the ASSC criteria will have to adapt to the clear criteria structure of the third group. These criteria are economic development, demographic considerations
and the intensity of structural adjustments.