АУТОР / AUTHOR(S): Miroslav Doderović 
, Ivan Mijanović
DOI: 10.46793/CSGE5.34MD
САЖЕТАК / ABSTRACT:
The population by nationality in Montenegro cannot be tracked in the first half of the 20th century, specifically until the census conducted after World War II. In the censuses of 1921 and 1931, the population was not categorized by nationality, but only by religion, language, and similar characteristics. Additionally, for comparing the population by national groups, the 1961 Census is the most suitable starting point, as it allows tracking the most numerous national groups according to the 2011 Census of population, households, and dwellings. For example, according to the 1953 Census, almost 2% of Montenegro’s population identified as Yugoslavs, while there were no inhabitants who identified as Muslims, a significant national group in Montenegro that began to officially declare themselves as such starting from 1961.
The 2011 Census in Montenegro revealed a population of approximately 625,000 people, with 45% identifying as Montenegrins, 28% as Serbs, about 9% as Bosnians, 5% as Albanians, and 1% as Croats. The results indicate that the Montenegrin population is growing, while the number of Serbs has decreased. The largest group is Montenegrins at 45%, while Serbs make up 29%, showing an increase of 2% in those identifying as Montenegrins and a decrease of over 3% in those identifying as Serbs compared to the 2003 census. The proportion of Serbs in Montenegro increased significantly from 3.3% in 1981 to nearly 33% in 2003. In 2011, slightly under 43% of Montenegrin citizens spoke Serbian, whereas nearly 37% spoke Montenegrin. This reflects a 20% decrease in the proportion of citizens listing Serbian as their mother tongue since 2003, alongside a corresponding increase in those speaking Montenegrin. Despite this trend, 6% more citizens still speak Serbian.
The 2023 census results show that 38% of the population identifies as Serbs, and around 52% speak Serbian as their mother tongue. This is a significantly higher percentage compared to the 2011 census. On the other hand, it suggests that the number of those identifying as Montenegrins decreased compared to the 2011 data when 43% of the citizens identified as Montenegrins. By religion, Montenegrin citizens are divided into: 72% Orthodox, 19% Muslim, and 3.5% Catholic. The remaining and atheist individuals each make up a little over one percent.
КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ / KEYWORDS:
nation; language; church