The thesis topic and subject of research are demographic processes as the cause and effect of East Croatia's backwardness in Croatia's regional development. Within this framework, the causes of East Croatia's underdevelopment, the role of demographic processes in underdevelopment during the transition period, indicators of underdevelopment in regional development, as well as the perception and attitudes of East Croatia’s student population on the interdependent influence of the demographic and regional development of the observed region, have all been considered in detail. Along with the standard geographic, especially demogeographic research, a survey of a sample of 1166 students from the Zagreb and Osijek Universities holds a prominent place among the applied research methods. The results show a direct, causal relationship between demographic and regional development, where the recent backwardness in regional development is a strong push factor of selective emigration (emigration of the younger and more educated population), consequentially resulting in the process of an aging population and a natural and complete depopulation. With the weakening of demographic resources, the attractive investment base is reduced, which is directly reflected in the relative underdevelopment of East Croatia in the context of Croatia’s regional development. This merits the conclusion that a more dynamic employment (and retention) of the younger and more educated population, in connection to the necessary restructuring of the economy and functional organization, is the first step in the process of the potential revitalization of this part of Croatia.