In recent decades the continuous decline of the rural population permanently raise concerns about the rural vitality - rural traditions, values and way of life of the rural population, which need to be supported. This is treated as a public good. Rural population is vital factor. Numerous scientific studies are devoted for investigating the ways and incentives how to encourage them to stay. The scientific problem of the study was to identify the factors behind the population variation trends in the same municipality while in some wards it increased and decreased in others. The study experts were executives of rural wards, who ranks the factors in order of importance in determining of the population trends. The results showed that executives consider population decline due to the changed geopolitical situation in Lithuania related to the accession to the EU, while the growth is caused by ward’s proximity to the central municipal city, favorable environment and availability of community gardens, where citizens are moving.
JEL Codes: J11, R11, R50.
Keyword(s): rural wards, rural areas, determinants of rural vitality.
Kuliešis, G.; Pareigienė, L. 2015. Determinants of population trends in rural areas, In Management theory and studies for rural business and infrastructure development = Vadybos mokslas ir studijos - kaimo verslų ir jų infrastruktūros plėtrai 37(4): 532-540. DOI:10.15544/mts.2015.45 (ISSN 1822-6760 (print) / ISSN 2345-0355 (online)) [EBSCO, Business Source Complete, Ulrich’s, DOAJ, OAJI, IndexCopernicus, ERIH PLUS andAcademicKeys.com.].