Household Composition and the Well–Being of Rural Serbia in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

[Serbiahousehold sizehousehold structurehousehold propertyhousehold incomeold-age security strategy ]] This article uses the population census of 1863 in order to compare relations between household size and household structure (according to Cambridge group typology), on one side, and the amount of household property per capita and household monthly income per capita, on the other. In terms of household size, a clear bimodal curve is visible in case of both: a steady decline to household size of five to seven members and undisturbed increase after that level up to eleven members. In terms of household structure, the amount of household property per capita generally declines from smaller to larger household structure, but the household monthly income per capita is similar among household classes. The old-age security strategy of peasants is the main driving force behind the paradox that majority of households are located within the poorest composition. Throughout his or her lifetime, an individual passes through several classes, and with the passage of time his or her well-being changes.

Changes in the Household Structure during the Period 1961–2011 in Serbia

“…According to activities, all households can be categorized as agricultural, nonagricultural, and mixed (Table 5). 17 According to the 1961 Census, there were as much as 59.7% of agricultural households (3,247) in the municipality of Sokobanja. The percentage of households which earned an income from nonagricultural activities was significantly less and amounted to 1,098 households or 20.2% from the total number.…”

“…The mentioned author tried to examine the connectedness of as many as 16 changeable and average household sizes by the statistical method of correlative analysis. The research of the changes in household structure in the nineteenth century in some regions of Serbia was done by B. Djurdjev et al 3 Fluctuation tendencies in household number and the size change of household structure were presented by M. Bobić 4 at the beginning of the twenty-first century.…”