The problem depopulated settlements, which can be traced back to a lack of social reproduction, is not only a Central European phenomenon. Trends in the value and extent of consumer society are driving developing and developed societies, one of the indirect results of which is the aging population of villages and the depletion of endogenous resources in the affected settlements. With this, these settlements lose their most important competitiveness potential, their population retention power.  In many cases, the economic vacuum found in small-village areas and the declining population further strengthen the process, which has a restrictive effect on the range of public service tasks, thus further worsening the opportunities of those living in the area. The study examines the economic and social potential of small villages using descriptive and complex statistical methods.