Vrgorac faces demographic decline and school closures

The city of Vrgorac, located in the Split-Dalmatia County near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, is facing a significant demographic crisis. The number of students in the Zabiokovlje region has dropped by nearly 40 percent over the last fifteen years, falling from 706 to 413. This decline has led to the closure of seven out of eleven local area schools.

While rural villages in the area are becoming deserted, the town of Vrgorac is seeing an influx of foreign workers, including individuals from Nepal, to fill labor gaps. Local officials have been criticized for failing to address the root causes of the exodus, which include low wages and a lack of diverse job opportunities, driving young residents toward Western Europe or coastal regions.