Demographics
In the years from 1948 until 1991 Vukovar's population increased quickly due to industrial development. Primarily it was immigration that fed the growth in the Vukovar region and in the town particularly. The region's population distribution changed notably too when the town of Ilok became the second largest town in the region.
| Year | Total | Croats | Serbs | Germans | Hungarians | Others | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 31.670 | 18.199 | 57,5% | 10.412 | 32,9% | 58 | 0,2% | 387 | 1,2% | 2.614 | 8,3% |
| 1990 | 44.639 | 21.065 | 47,2% | 14.425 | 32,3% | 94 | 0,2% | 694 | 1,5% | 8.361 | 18,8% |
| 1971 | 30.222 | 14.694 | 48,6% | 9.132 | 30,2% | 60 | 0,2% | 835 | 2,8% | 5.501 | 18,2% |
| 1948 | 17.223 | 10.943 | 63,5% | 4.390 | 25,5% | 54 | 0,3% | 913 | 5,3% | 923 | 5,3% |
| 1931 | 10.242 | 5.048 | 49,6% | 1.702 | 16,6% | 2.670 | 26,1% | 571 | 5,6% | 215 | 2,0% |
| 1910 | 10.359 | 4.092 | 39,5% | 1.628 | 15,7% | 3.503 | 33,8% | 954 | 9,2% | 183 | 1,8% |
The most significant change is the disappearing of the Germans after World War II. The empty place was filled with Croat and Serb colonists during Yugoslavia.
| Year of census | total | Croats | Serbs | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 31,670 | 18,199 (57.46%) | 10,412 (32.88%) | 3,059 (9.66%) |
| 1991 | 84,024 | 36,910 (43.93%) | 31,910 (37.98%) | 15,204 (18.09%) |
| 1981 | 81,203 | 30,157 (37.14%) | 25,146 (30.97%) | 25,903 (31.89%) |
| 1971 | 76,602 | 34,629 (45.21%) | 28,470 (37.17%) | 13,593 (17.09%) |
| 1961 | 54,707 | 24,527 (44.83%) | 22,774 (41.63%) | 7,406 (13.54%) |
The Croats were in the majority in most villages and in the region's eastern part, whereas the Serbs dominated in northwest. Vukovar's population was ethnically mixed and had 28 ethnic groups before the war.
Since the boundaries of the municipality have changed a few times, there are significant differences in the population census between '61 and '71, and '91 and '01.
Particularly since the war in Croatia, much of the native Croat population has moved to other areas of Croatia or emigrated to Western Europe (notably Germany or Austria) and many Serbs have either moved to Serbia or to Canada and Western Europe.
Fifteen years after the war, in 2006, the city's ethnic makeup shows equal percentages of Serb and Croat residents. The city remains very divided, as a deeper sense of reconciliation has failed to take root. The ethnic communities remain separated by mistrust, divided institutions and disappointment. Separate schooling for Croat and Serb children remains in place. Incidents involving Croats and Serbs occur regularly, and public spaces have become identified not by the services they offer but by the ethnicity of those who gather there. Even coffee shops are identified as Serb or Croat.
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