Vojvodina's demographic history reflects its rich history and its former location at the border of the Ottoman and Habsburg empires and at the confluence of various peoples, making it a hotbed of invasion, colonization, and assimilation processes. Currently there are more than 25 ethnic groups living in Vojvodina and six official languages.
The area of Vojvodina had been inhabited since the Paleolithic period. Indo-European peoples moved into this area during three migration waves, which are dated in 4200 BC, 3300 BC, and 2800 BC respectively. Before the Roman conquest in the 1st century BC, Indo-European peoples of Illyrian, Thracian and Celtic origin inhabited the region.
During the Roman administration (which extended to Syrmia and Banat), the original inhabitants were heavily Romanized, and would later be known as Vlachs. The region of Bačka, which did not belong to the Roman Empire, was populated by Iranian Sarmatians (Iazyges). After the end of Roman rule, the Romanized inhabitants of the area escaped to the Balkan Mountains (where they mixed with South Slavs) as well as the Romanian Carpathians (where they later were known as Romanians).[1]
Vojvodina was invaded by the Turanic nomads such as the Huns and Avars, as well as by the Germanic Goths, Gepids and Lombards, but after their military defeat, they were quickly absorbed by the local (Slavic) population, without leaving much ethnic traces in the region's population.
During the early medieval migrations, Slavs (Severans, Abodrites, Braničevci, Timočani and Serbs) settled today's Vojvodina in the 6th and 7th centuries.[2] According to some sources, pockets of Romanized populations remained in the area.[citation needed] Until the Hungarian conquest in the 10th century, the region had a dominant Slavic population.[3]
Indo-European peoples in Vojvodina in ancient times.
Slavs in Vojvodina in the 6th century.
Slavs in Vojvodina in the 6th–7th century.
Ethnic map of Vojvodina (6th–8th century).
Slavs in Vojvodina in the 7th–8th century.
Slavs in Vojvodina in the 9th century, before the Hungarian conquest.
The region was conquered by the Principality of Hungary in the 10th century, and Hungarians started to settle in the area. Hungarians mainly settled in the northern part of the region, where they lived mixed with Slavs. Until the late 12th and early 13th century, the region was mainly populated by Slavs, after which the ethnic relations changed in favor of Hungarians. The larger number of Hungarians settled in the region since the 13th century. The presence of Slavs in the area increased again in the 14th century with the arrival of many Serbs from the south. During the Hungarian administration, much of the native local Slavs were Magyarized.[4] Initially, the Hungarian language was spoken only by the knights and nobility of the Kingdom of Hungary, but it was later adopted also by the rest of the population.[4] By the opinion of some researchers, the non-Magyarized descendants of these local Slavs are the present-day Šokci.[5]
Although Serbs were part of the aboriginal Slavic population in the territory of Vojvodina (especially in Syrmia), an increasing number of Serbs began settling from the 14th century onward. Because of the presence of the large Serb population, many historical records and maps from the 15th to the 18th century refer to the territory of present-day Vojvodina as Raška.
The Ottoman Empire took control of Vojvodina in the 16th century, and this caused a massive depopulation of the region. Most of the Hungarians and many local Slavs fled from the region and escaped to the north. The majority of those who left in the region were Serbs, mainly now engaging either in farming or in Ottoman military service.
Under Ottoman policy, many Serbs were newly settled in the region. During the Ottoman administration, Serbs comprised an absolute majority of Vojvodina's population.[6] In that time, villages were populated exclusively by Serbs, while cities were populated by various ethnic and religious groups, including mainly Muslims and Serbs, but also some Cincars, Greeks, Jews and Roma.[7]
The Habsburg monarchy took control of Vojvodina in the treaties of Karlovci (1699) and Požarevac (1718). Following the establishment of the Habsburg administration, the Muslim population fled from the region. Some of these Muslim refugees were resettled in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the Habsburg administration, many new Serb settlers from the Ottoman Empire immigrated to the region. In 1687, the northern parts of the region were settled by ethnic Bunjevci.
Many other non-Serb settlers were also settled in the territory of present-day Vojvodina during the 18th and 19th century. These settlers were mainly Germans and Hungarians, but also included Rusyns, Slovaks, Romanians, and others. Because of this settling, Serbs were no longer the absolute ethnic majority in the region, and Vojvodina became one of the most ethnically diverse regions of Europe.
Despite this, Serbs still remained the largest ethnic group in the region. According to the 1910 census, Serbs comprised 33.8% of the population in the territory of present-day Vojvodina. After Serbs, the most numerous ethnic groups were Hungarians (comprising 28.1%) and Germans (comprising 21.4%).
In 1918, Vojvodina became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and new Serb settlers came to the region. As a consequence of the Second World War, most Vojvodina Germans (about 200,000) left Vojvodina together with the defeated German army.[8] Those who remained in the region were confined to prison camps until 1948, when the camps were dissolved and Yugoslav citizenship was returned to the Germans.[9] Despite this, the remaining German population would leave Yugoslavia for economic reasons, moving to Germany, other European countries, or the United States. In their place, new South Slavic (Serb, Montenegrin, Macedonian, Croat, etc.) colonists would settle in the region. According to the 1948 census, Serbs formed the absolute majority in Vojvodina again at 51% of the population, and this percent rose to 65% in the 2002 census. The multi-ethnic character of the region would still persist.
Ethno-religious situation in some main cities of Vojvodina during Ottoman administration (16th–17th century)
Ethnic map of Bačka (1715 census)
Ethnic map of Bačka (1720 census)
Ethnic map of Banat in 1743
Ethnic map of Banat in 1774
Population data from the Hungarian administration period
In the 15th century, according to opinion of various researchers, South Slavic (Serbian and Croatian) population was dominant in Syrmia and southern Banat, while Hungarian population was dominant in Bačka and northern Banat. According to Hungarian author Károly Kocsis, 194,000 inhabitants might have been living on the present-day territory of Vojvodina in 1495.[11] That number was calculated on the basis of work of Kubinyi, A. (1966), who processed the data of the tax inventory conducted in 1495 by Sigismund Ernust, Chancellor of the Royal Treasury. Some 52 townships (civitas, oppidium) and 801 villages could be found in the area, in which, according to Kocsis, Hungarians are likely to have constituted the majority of population. According to this view, the population of the area included 148,000 (76,1%) Hungarians, 39,000 (20%) Serbs and 7,500 (3,9%) Croats.[12][13] However, calculation of demographic data from this time period can be described as vague and of a rather varied nature,[11] due to the lack of censuses that would collect comprehensive ethnic information. For the time of the Hungarian royal tax registration in 1495, conclusions for a probable absolute or relative „ethnic" majority of the population living in the area were drawn from the given sources through analysing direct references of „ethnic nature", in most cases by the linguistic analysis of taxpayers' names and that of geographical names.[11]
Population data from the Ottoman administration period
During Ottoman administration (16th–18th century), the region of Vojvodina had an absolute Serb majority.[6]
Population data from the Habsburg administration period
1690
In 1690, about 210,000 Serbs lived in Vojvodina (excluding Srem).[14] In this time, almost entire population of the region was composed of Serbs, also including some Šokci.[15]
1715
According to the Austrian census in Bačka from 1715, Serbs, Bunjevci, and Šokci comprised 97.6% of population.[16]
1718–1720
The 1720 census in Bačka recorded 72% Serbs and 22% Bunjevci and Šokci.[17] After the Treaty of Passarowitz (1718), the first Habsburg census recorded in Banat about 20,000 citizens, mostly Serbs.[18]
Note that linguistic data from this census might not correspond with ethnic structure in some settlements (Novi Sad, Subotica, Zrenjanin, etc.), due to the fact that Hungarian language was spoken by several ethnicities (Hungarians, Jews, Bunjevci, etc.).
Linguistic structure of Vojvodina by settlements 1910. (present territorial organization)
Religious structure of Vojvodina by settlements 1910. (present territorial organization)
Linguistic structure of Vojvodina by settlements 1910.
Linguistic structure of Vojvodina by municipalities 1910. (present territorial organization)
Linguistic map of Vojvodina in 1910
Linguistic map of Vojvodina in 1911
Ethnic map of Vojvodina in 1914
Ethnic map of Vojvodina in 1917
Ethnic map of Vojvodina in 1918, according to the Serbian geographer Jovan Cvijić
Population data from the Yugoslav and Serbian administration period
Ethnic structure of Vojvodina by municipalities 2011.
Ethnic structure of Vojvodina by municipalities in 2011.
Share of Serbs in Vojvodina by municipalities 2011.
Share of Hungarians in Vojvodina by municipalities 2011.
Religious structure of Vojvodina by municipalities 2011.
Religious structure of Vojvodina by municipalities in 2011.
Linguistic structure of Vojvodina by municipalities 2011.
Linguistic structure of Vojvodina by municipalities in 2011.
Future demographic trends
The general demographic trend in Vojvodina is a natural decrease in population. According to the 2011 census, the average age of the population of the province was 41.8. Ever since 1989, Vojvodina recorded negative natural growth, including all the ethnic groups. Despite that, number of ethnic Serbs in the province is increasing due to the constant immigration of Serbs from other parts of Serbia as well as Serbs from Republika Srpska and parts of Croatia neighboring Serbia. It is expected that by 2021 census, Serbs become relative majority in Bečej and Čoka municipalities as well as in the city of Subotica itself.
Vojvodina, officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia, located in Central Europe. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital Belgrade and the Sava and Danube Rivers. The administrative centre, Novi Sad, is the second-largest city in Serbia.
Bačka or Bácska is a geographical and historical area within the Pannonian Plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east. It is divided between Serbia and Hungary. Most of the area is located within the Vojvodina region in Serbia and Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina, lies on the border between Bačka and Syrmia. The smaller northern part of the geographical area is located within Bács-Kiskun County in Hungary.
Žabalj is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. In 2023 the town Žabalj has a population of 9,107 and the municipality Žabalj has a population of 25,777. It is located in southeastern part of Bačka, known as Šajkaška. All settlements in the municipality have an ethnic Serb majority.
Beočin is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The population of the town is 7,839, whilst Beočin's municipality population is 15,726. There is also a Beočin Monastery from the 16th century in the municipality.
The Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar or Serbian Voivodeship and the Banate of Temes, known simply as the Serbian Voivodeship, was a crownland of the Austrian Empire that existed between 1849 and 1861.
Stara Pazova is a town and municipality located in the Srem District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The town has a population of 18,042, while Stara Pazova municipality has 65,792 inhabitants. The entrance into town from Inđija lies on 45th parallel north, it is half-way between the North pole and the equator.
Baranya or Baranja is a geographical and historical region between the Danube and the Drava rivers located in the Pannonian Plain. Its territory is divided between Hungary and Croatia. In Hungary, the region is included in Baranya county, while in Croatia, it is part of Osijek-Baranja county.
Potisje is the name of the Tisa river basin parts located in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. The river Tisa flow between Banat and Bačka regions.
Vojvodina is an autonomous province located in northern Serbia. It consists of the Pannonian Plain in the south, and the Danube and Sava rivers in the north.
The Serbs of Vojvodina are the largest ethnic group in this northern province of Serbia. For centuries, Vojvodina was ruled by several European powers, but Vojvodina Serbs never assimilated into cultures of those countries. Thus, they have consistently been a recognized indigenous ethnic minority with its own culture, language and religion. According to the 2022 census, there were 1,190,785 Serbs in Vojvodina or 68.43% of the population of the province.
Jaša Tomić is a town located in the municipality of Sečanj, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The town has a Serb ethnic majority and a population numbering 2,982 people.
Hungarians in Serbia are a recognized national minority in Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the population of ethnic Hungarians in Serbia is 184,442, constituting 2.8% of the total population, which makes them the second-largest ethnic group in the country behind Serbs and the largest minority group. The vast majority of them live in the northern autonomous province of Vojvodina, where they number 182,321 and make up 10.5% of the province's population. Almost 99% of all Hungarians in Serbia live in the province of Vojvodina. Most Hungarians in Serbia are Roman Catholics, while smaller numbers of them are Protestant. Their cultural center is located in Subotica.
Banat, Bačka and Baranya was a province of the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes between November 1918 and 1922. It included the geographical regions of Banat, Bačka, and Baranya and its administrative center was Novi Sad. They were later separated from the country to become SAP Vojvodina in 1945 with the creation of Federal Yugoslavia; smaller parts of Baranya were incorporated into Croatia or ceded to Kingdom of Hungary, while a portion of Banat was ceded to Kingdom of Romania.
Gospođinci is a village in the municipality of Žabalj, in the South Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population is 3,896.
This article is about demographic history of Subotica.
Donji Petrovci is a village in Serbia. It is situated in Ruma municipality, Srem District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and a population of 991 people. There is a significant ancient Roman archaeological site near the village - the remains of large city Bassianae, which in the 3rd century had the highest status of colonia.
Idvor is a village in northern Serbia. It is located in the Kovačica municipality, South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority (93.98%) and its population numbers 1,198 people.
This is demographic history of Bačka. This article contains data from various population censuses conducted in the region of Bačka during the history. Censuses from 1715 to 1910 contain data about population of the entire Bačka, while censuses from 1921 to 2002 contain data about population of the Yugoslav/Serbian part of Bačka.
Muftiship of Novi Sad is one of the four muftiships of the Islamic Community in Serbia. Muftiship is including territory of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and its seat is in Novi Sad. Administrator of the muftiship is mufti Fadil Murati.
The Great People's Assembly of Serbs, Bunjevci and other Slavs in Banat, Bačka and Baranja or Novi Sad Assembly was an assembly held in Novi Sad on 25 November 1918, which proclaimed the unification of Banat, Bačka and Baranya with the Kingdom of Serbia.
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