Population as the strategic potential of the defense system of the Republic of Serbia

The population represents the strategic potential of every country including Serbia. Nowadays Serbia is characterized by an accelerated and intensive process of population ageing, which can have negative implications for the defense system. On the basis of the census data, this paper analyzes the age structure of the population in Serbia with a special emphasis on the inter-census period between 2002 and 2011. The increase in ageing will continue, and the importance of population ageing in considering the defense function of the Republic of Serbia has been pointed out, as well as the further movement of the population in Serbia until 2041.