Gospodarska i demografska slika Velebitskog primorja i podgorja nije dobra zbog
sljedećih uzroka: neatraktivnost reljefnog prostora s gospodarskog stanovišta, visok
stupanj zaštite okoliša što je poduzetniku dodatan trošak, nepovoljni uvjeti financiranja
poduzetništva ali i visok stupanj centralizacije države. Temeljni uzrok ovakvog ukupnog
gospodarskog stanja je mali broj i struktura stanovništva, odnosno nedovoljan radno aktivni
kontingent stanovništva. Postojeća starosna, dobna i obrazovna struktura stanovništva je
nepovoljna i nedovoljna za razvoj gospodarstva zbog demografskih promjena u prošlosti,
spore industrijalizacije, urbanizacije i deagrarizacije što je rezultiralo emigracijom i
depopulacijom. Nekada dominantne djelatnosti poljoprivreda, ribarstvo i stočarstvo,
zamijenili su turizam, trgovina i ugostiteljstvo, manje proizvodnja. Za gospodarski razvoj
ovoga prostora važni su Park prirode Velebit i nacionalni parkovi Sjeverni Velebit i
Paklenica koji kao prirodni resursi mogu utjecati na razvoj ekoproizvodnje, ekoturizma
i održivi razvoj.The economic and demographic picture of the Velebit Primorje (littoral region) and Podgorje
(foothill region) is not good due to the following causes: the unattractiveness of the relief of the
place from an economic point of view, the high degree of environmental protection, which for an
entrepreneur is an additional expense, the unfavourable conditions of financing entrepreneurship
as well as the high degree of state centralisation. The basic cause of this kind of overall economic
situation is the small number and structure of the population, in other words, the insufficient,
actively working contingent of the population. The existing old age and educational structure of
the population are unfavourable and insufficient for the development of the economy because
of the demographic changes in the past, the conflicts of industrialisation, urbanisation and
deagrarisation which resulted with emigration and depopulation. The once dominant activities
of agriculture, fishing and livestock breeding, were replaced with tourism, trade and hospitality,
and less production. For the economic development of this area the Velebit Nature Park and the
Northern Velebit and Paklenica national parks are important as natural resources can influence the
development of eco-production, eco-tourism and sustainable development
