Active ageing as lifestyle on Croatian islands

The main feature of Croatian islands, in addition to their beautiful nature, is the fact that they are demographically and sociologically one of the most threatened areas affected by ageing. The ageing of the island population is the result of a long-term depopulation caused by the continuous emigration of the younger working-active population over the past hundred years, but also by the retirement return migration in the last thirty years. The most critical situation is on small islands where the majority of population is aged over 60 and this has a significant impact on all aspects of island life. The research conducted on small islands in the Šibenik archipelago in 2011 has shown that older people live alone, with no significant health problems limiting their daily activities, in their own households (homes), on modest pensions, and many of them supplement their income through agriculture. They very often financially help their children, who live mostly in nearby mainland cities. The necessity of self-reliance, due to the lack of younger generations, forces the inhabitants of Croatian island to lead an active life until their old age. Although they are no longer actively employed, they still continue to contribute significantly to the family and society through their involvement in various community activities