How did the Croatian War of Independence change the size of Croatia’s Serb minority?

The Croatian War of Independence in the 1990s led to a dramatic decline in the size of Croatia’s Serb minority. Before the war, Serbs accounted for more than one-tenth of the country's population; by 2001, that figure had fallen to less than half of its pre-war proportion.1

This significant demographic shift was a direct result of the conflict, during which various regions—such as Slavonia—were affected by ethnic cleansing. The war, which began following Croatia's declaration of independence in 1991, saw widespread violence and the occupation of approximately one-third of Croatian territory by Yugoslav forces.23