A Herman Ottó Múzeum évkönyve 47. (2008)

Kápolnai Iván: A mezőkövesdi kistérség népességi és lakásviszonyai a 20. század második felében

IRODALOM A Központi Statisztikai Hivatal népszámlálási kiadványai Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén megye statisztikai évkönyvei Területi statisztikai évkönyvek Demény Pál 1997 A huszadik század Magyarországának népesedése nemzetközi összehasonlítások tükrében. In: Kovacsics József (szerk.): Magyarország történeti demográfiája (896-1995) Millecentenáriumi előadások. Központi Statisztikai Hivatal, 379-390. Kápolnai Iván 2002 Mezőkövesd és környéke I—II. Népességi és gazdasági-társadalmi viszonyok a 20. század végéig. Központi Statisztikai Hivatal Levéltára THE POPULATION AND HOUSING CONDITIONS IN THE MEZŐKÖVESD MICRO-REGION DURING THE LATER 20TH CENTURY The 770 km

2 large micro-region incorporating eleven mountain and twelve agricultural settlements in the broader area of Mezőkövesd accounts for 0.83 per cent of Hungary's territory', while its population of 46.5 thousand for 0.46 per cent of the country's population. The latter figure was 0.72 per cent a hundred years ago and 1 per cent in the late 18th century. Population growth was continuous until the 1940s, with the birth-rate exceeding that of the Hungarian average. However, the birth surplus could not be maintained in the region. Migration away from the area began already in the 19th century and the losses caused by this migration accounted for one-half of the population growth (12 thousand), rising to twice this figure in the first four decades of the 20th century (23 thousand), but no longer decisive in the past two decades. The population of Mezőkövesd numbered 18 thousand in the later 20th century; the overall population number fell by 20 per cent, while that of the settlements around the town by almost 30 per cent. The population of several settlements fell by almost 50 per cent. The greatest population decline could be noted in the 1960s, after the collectivisation of agriculture. The general population decline in Hungary began in 1981. The willingness to have children declined to a greater extent in this region than the national average, as a result of which natural decline became continuous from 1977, although in some settlements, the death rate exceeded the birth rate from an earlier date. The gradual ageing of the population is reflected by the fact that in the early 20th century, children below 15 years of age accounted for over one-third of the population, dropping to one-sixth by the turn of the millennium. Around 1900, about 6 per cent of the population was over 60; this figure rose to 12 per cent by the mid-20th century and to 25 per cent by the turn of the millennium, although in some villages the proportion of senior citizens is over 40 per cent. The religious and ethnic breakdown of the population changed too. While over 40 per cent of the population followed the Reformed Church in the mid-18th century, this proportion fell to around 20 per cent by the mid-20th century. In contrast, the proportion of Roman Catholics grew to almost 80 per cent owing to their higher birth rate. The proportion of Roman Catholics declined to 68 per cent by the turn of the millennium, the followers of the Reformed Church to 18 per cent, with 2 per cent of the population belonging to some other denomination. The remaining portion of the population was either unaffiliated with any denomination or declined to answer the census question on religion. The substantial non-Hungarian speaking part of the population (mostly Slovaks) was for the greater part assimilated during the 19th century. One tendency at the close of the 20th century was the