Demographics of Albania

With an estimated population of 2.36 million in 2025, Albania ranks 142nd in the world by population. The population density is 101 inhabitants per square kilometre. The life expectancy at birth in 2024 was 80 years. The total fertility rate is 1.21 children per mother, the third lowest in Europe after Malta and Spain. There were 23,617 births and 21,286 deaths in Albania in 2023, a positive natural population increase as the number of births exceeded the number of deaths by 2,331. In 2025, the total dependency ratio of population in Albania is 57.1% and the median age is 44.3 years old. The age structure was under 6 years by 10.8% and 65 years and older by 7.5%. However, the sex ratio amounted to 49.9% males and 50.1% females of the total population. In 2011, the total population was 2,831,741. The comparison of the figures shows that the population has decreased by 7.7% in about ten years. Large scale emigration and fertility decline are supposed to be the main causes of the observed population decrease. A preliminary estimate of the number of persons that refused to participate in the census is 29,355 (1.04%). This figure is based on the number of dwellings for which a refusal was recorded and is included in the total population. The total population is composed of 1,421,810 males (50.2%) and 1,409,931 females (49.8%). For the first time in the history of population censuses in the nation, the population in urban areas is larger than the population of rural areas. According to 2011 census preliminary results, 53.7 percent of the population lives in urban areas and 46.3 percent in rural areas. The 2011 census is regarded as unreliable and inaccurate by the Council of Europe, showing incompatibility with the protection of national minorities. Also, the World Council of Churches sent letters to the United Nations Human Rights Council regarding the matter, having conducted their own questionnaire which showed major irregularities. It was the first census to include ethnicity, was struck by controversy since according to article 20 of the Census law, there is a $1,000 fine for anyone who declares anything other than what was written down on the individual's birth certificate. Some of the minorities, mainly the Greeks, boycotted the census. In 2024, the religious affiliation in Albania was 36.5% Muslims, 33.8% Irreligious believers, 8% Orthodox Christians, 7.9% Catholics, 7.2% Atheists and Agnostics, 5.2% Bektashi and 1.2% Protestants. Tirana County is the area with the highest population of 811,649 in the country. Fier County remains the population with the second highest population with a total of 312,488. The Counties with the lowest result are Gjirokastër, Kukës and Dibër respectively with 70,331, 84,035 and 134,153 inhabitants. About 53.4% of Albania's population live in cities. The three largest counties account for half of the population. Almost 53.4% of the population of Albania living in cities. According to the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), the three largest counties account for half of the population. Over 1 million people live in Tirana and Durrës, making it the largest urban area in Albania. The area of the capital Tirana, is one of largest cities in the Balkan Peninsula and ranks 7th with a population about 800,000. The second largest is the port city of Durrës, with a population of 201.110, followed by Vlorë, the largest city in southern Albania, with 141.513 inhabitants. The Institute of Statistics forecast that the population may even increase by less than a fifth from 763.560 by 2011 to 909.252 by 2031, depending on the actual birth rate and the level of net migration. Population censuses in 1923–2023 Population by Qark/County Total fertility rate by counties ==Vital statistics==

Before WWII After WWII Source: Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) Current vital statistics Structure of the population ==Marriages and divorces==

Albania is inhabited mostly by Albanians. In the 2011 official census, 97.8% of those who disclosed their identity were Albanians (82.58% overall), while 2.3% stated other ethnicities (1.9% overall). Albania recognizes nine national minorities. These include Aromanians, Balkan Egyptians, Greeks, Bulgarians, Bosniaks, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Serbs, and Roma. As conducting a satisfactory census of ethnic minorities is one of the country's commitments to the European Union, the Government of Albania conducted an official census to clarify the ethnic composition of the population in 2011. However this census was deemed unreliable by internal and external organisations, including the Council of Europe and many of Albania's ethnic minority groups. The census conducted in 2001 did not collect information about ethnic groups and nationalities in the population. Since the 21st century, Albania has also witnessed a significant settlement of foreign expats into the country, such as Italians, Chinese, Turks, Bengalis, Americans, Portuguese and other foreign workers. In 2021 there were as many as 15,000 foreigners living in Albania (0.5% of the population). Albania also houses 3,200 Afghan refugees and over 3,800 Ukrainian refugees. AlbaniaTraditionalCommunitiesByLanguageAndReligion.png|Traditional locations of linguistic and religious communities in Albania Ethnic composition of Albania, municipality data of 1989 census.gif|Ethnic composition per the 1989 census:Red – Albanian majorityGreen – Greek majorityYellow – Macedonian majority ;Notes 1 At the 2011 census a total of 390,938 (14% of the total population) did not declare their nationality, while another 44,144 (1.6%) considered the nationality as 'not relevant'. The census is regarded unreliable and inaccurate by the Council of Europe. Vlachs (Aromanians) live in the south of the country, whereas Montenegrins and Serbs live in the north. Macedonians mostly live in Mala Prespa and the regions along the Macedonian border, known as 'Golo Brdo' and 'Gora'.2 The Bulgarian minority was only recognised in 2017, after decades-long blockade by former Yugoslavia and following a 2016 recommendation by the European Parliament that the rights of people of Bulgarian ethnicity in the Prespa, Gollobordë, and Gora regions should be respected.3 Includes 584 Serbs and 511 Montenegrins.4 Includes 3,798 people declaring "Other ethnic identity", 770 people declaring "Mixed ethnic identity" and 1,142 people declaring "No ethnic identity". ==Religion==

According to the 2023 census, there were 1,101,718 (45.86%) Muslims (mostly Sunni Muslims and Non-denominational Muslims) 201,530 (8.38%) Catholics, 173,645 (7.22%) Eastern Orthodox, 115,644 (4.81%) Bektashi Muslims, 9,658 (0.4%) Evangelicals, 3 670 (0.15%) of other religions, 332,155 (13.82%) believers without denomination, 85,311 (3.55%) Atheists and 378,782 (15.76%) did not provide an answer. Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free exercise of religion. The government is secular and the Ministry of Education asserts that public schools in the country are secular and that the law prohibits ideological and religious indoctrination. Religion is not taught in public schools. ==Language==

The Albanian language is the official language of Albania. It has two distinct dialects, Tosk, spoken in the south, and Gheg, spoken in the north. The Shkumbin river is the rough dividing line between the two dialects. The language is spoken primarily in Greece, Italy, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro. Centuries-old communities speaking Albanian-based dialects can be found scattered in Greece (Arvanites), Southern Italy, Sicily and Calabria (Arbëreshë) and in Ukraine. However, due to the large Albanian diaspora, the total number of speakers is much higher than the native speakers in Southern Europe. The four dialects include Tosk Albanian, Gheg Albanian, Arbëresh and Arvanitika. Foreign languages spoken generally include one – or more – amongst the following: English, French, Greek, Italian. Language knowledge is increasing due to returning migrants, as well as new Greek and Italian communities in the country. In particular, Italian is widely spoken throughout Albania. La Francophonie states that 30,000 French speakers can be found in Albania. Greek, the language of the Greek minority of the south, is also very widespread in that region. Nowadays, knowledge of English is growing very rapidly, especially among the youth. The ethnic minorities languages include Aromanian, Serbian, Macedonian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Gorani, and Roma. Greek is the largest minority language of the country as well as the first largest foreign language. Approximately 5,000 Macedonian language-speakers can be found in Albania. Most of these living in the southeastern part of the country. == Education ==

is the largest and highest ranking university in Albania. Literacy in the country is 98.7 percent. The school life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) of Albania is 16 years. The nation ranks 25th out of 167 countries in the world. In 2015, the overall literacy rate in Albania was 98.7%; the male literacy rate was 99.2% and female literacy rate was 98.3%. Education for primary (arsimi fillor), secondary (arsimi i mesëm), and tertiary (arsimi universitar) levels are mostly supported by the state. Classes start in September and end in June. Albanian is the primary language of instruction in all public schools. Education takes place in three stages: primary, secondary, and pre-university. Primary education is obligatory from grade 1 to 9. Students must pass the graduation exams at the end of the 9th grade in order to continue their education. After primary school, the general education is provided at the secondary schools. Students get prepared for the Matura examination, allowing them to obtain their matura diploma, which grants admission to higher education. The country follows the Bologna model in accordance with the 2007 Law on 'Higher Education'. These institutions can be public or private, and may offer one, two or three levels of higher education depending on the institution. == Health ==

Life expectancy at birth in Albania was 80.6 years in 2024, outperforming a number of European Union countries, such as Estonia, Poland and the Czech Republic. Tirana, Albania's capital and most populous city, had a life expectancy at birth of 82.8 years in 2022, remarkably high for the region, outperforming significantly wealthier capital cities in Western Europe, such as Vienna and Berlin. Albania has a universal health care system. In 2000, Albania had the world's 55th best healthcare performance. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Albania ranks around the 40th in the world in terms of life expectancy. Compared to other Western countries, Albania has a low rate of obesity. Source: UN World Population Prospects == Diaspora ==

in Europe Albanians have established communities in many regions throughout southern Europe. The modern Albanian diaspora was formed largely in the 15th century, when many Albanians emigrated to southern Italy, especially in Sicily and Calabria also to Greece, to escape either various socio-political difficulties and the Ottoman conquest. Other destinations include the US, Canada, Argentina, and Turkey. Over the last twenty years, Albania has experienced major demographic changes, having the highest population growth in Europe before the collapse of communism in the country. Albania has also shifted to population decline since the changes. However, during the final days of the transition from communism to capitalism in 1990, over a million Albanians moved to foreign countries. These include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Nordic countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. About 440,000 of them settled in Greece, where Albanians make up 60% of immigrants. 350,000 Albanians have migrated to Italy over the 1990s to 2000s, however the number has increased substantially. The situation in Kosovo is similar. More than a million Albanians have left Kosovo permanently since the late 1980s, not counting those fleeing the Kosovo War who have subsequently returned. Important destinations for Albanians emigrating from Kosovo have been Switzerland and Germany. == See also ==