Demographics of Albania

Ethnic Albanian school children

This article is about the demographic features of the population of Albania, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Population

Historical

Historical Growth of Albania
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1600	200,000	—
1700	300,000	+0.41%
1923	823,000	+0.45%
1990	3,300,000	+2.09%
2001	3,023,000	−0.79%
2011	2,831,741	−0.65%
Source: Maddison (2001)

Population statistics for Albania start with the first census of 1923, when the country had 823,000 inhabitants. Previous censuses carried out by the Ottoman Empire are not yet available. A shift in administrative borders in 1913 makes comparison of various periods more complicated. Maddison (2001) estimates that in the current territory of Albania, about 200,000 people lived up to the year 1600, and that the population grew to 300,000 by 1700, implying an annual average growth rate of 0.4% in that period.

Population growth accelerated from the country's Declaration of Independence in 1913 to 1944 to 0.7% per year. This was due in part because Albania had the largest birth rate and the smallest death rate in Europe at the time.^[1] After World War II, population increase policies pursued by the communist government and a large life expectancy fueled a 2.5% annual increase for the following 45 years. Population growth strained economic resources during communism in a Malthusian fashion that led to the collapse of the regime and the emigration of about 20-25% of the population in the following two decades. Albania experienced a demographic transition starting from 1960s, when crude birth rates began a slow decline, despite a government policy that called for a population increase. After the 1990s, the population showed an average decline of about 0.3% per year, caused by emigration. In the 2001 census, the population declined to 3,023,000 from almost 3.3 million in 1990. The next census was scheduled for April 2011, and the results will be published in the following months. However, various minority groups find this proccedure that has been followed unacceptable since according to article 20 of the Census law, there is a $1,000 fine for someone who will declare anything other than what was written down on his birth certificate.^[2]

Census results

Demographics of Albania, Data of FAO, year 2005; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

Census population of Albania^[3][4]

Census date	total population	change (%)	males	females	population density/km^2	urban population
1918
15 XI 1923	803,959
25 V 1930	1,003,097
31 XII 1940	1,084,159	+8.1
30 IX 1945	1,122,044	+3.5%	570,361	551,683	39
3 IX 1950	1,218,943	+8.6%	625,935	593,008	42	20.5%
2 X 1955	1,391,499	+14.1%	713,316	678,183	48	27.5%
2 X 1960	1,626,315	+16.9%	835,294	791,021	57	30.9%
1 IV 1969	2,068,200	+27.2%			72	31.5%
7 I 1979	2,590,600	+25.3%	1,337,400	1,253,200	90	33.5%
12 IV 1989	3,182,417	+22.9%	1,638,100	1,544,300	111	35.5%
1 IV 2001	3,069,275	-3.6%	1,530,443	1,538,832	107	42.1%
1 X 2011(p)	2,831,741	-7.7%	1,421,810	1,409,931	99	53.7%

p =provisional figure

Results of the 2001 census^[5]

Number of households

726,895

Registered Voters

According to CEC,^[6] in 2013 elections Registered voters are 3,271,885.

Age structure

Under 6 years: 10.8%

65 years and older: 7.5%

Sex ratio

Males: 49.9% of total population

Females: 50.1% of total population

Education

Percent of population aged 6 and older (2,737,614)

Uncompleted primary: 14.8%

Primary: 18.6%

Junior secondary: 38.4%

Senior secondary: 21.7%

Higher education: 2.9%

Illiterate: 3.6%

2011 census

Based on the preliminary 2011 Census results, the total population of Albania is 2,831,741.^[7] The comparison of the figures shows that the population of Albania 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 Albania, the population in urban areas is larger than the population of rural areas. According to 2011 census preliminary results, 53.7% of the population lives in urban areas and 46.3% in rural areas.

The census is regarded as unreliable and inaccurate by the Council of Europe, showing incompatibility with the protection of national minorities.^[8] 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.^[9] The 2011 census, the first 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 declare anything other than what was written down on the individual's birth certificate.^[10]

• 

  Ethnicity

• 

  Language

• 

  Religion

Mother tongue

Population by mother tongue

Mother tongue	Population	%
Albanian	2,765,610	98.8
Greek	15,196	0.5
Macedonian	4,443	0.16
Romani	4,025	0.14
Aromanian	3,848	0.13
Turkish	714	0.03
Italian	523	0.02
Other	1,936	0.07
Not relevant/not stated	3,843	0,13

Religious affiliation

In the 2011 census the declared religious affiliation of the population was: 56.7% Muslims, 13.79% undeclared, 10.03% Catholics, 6.75% Orthodox believers, 5.49% other, 2.5% Atheists, 2.09% Bektashis and 0.14% other Christians.^[11]

Religion in Albania

Religion	Population	%
Muslims Sunni Muslims Bektashi	1,646,236 1,587,608 58,628	58.79 56.70 2.09
Christians Catholics Orthodox Protestants Other Christians	475,629 280,921 188,992 3,797 1,919	16.99 10.03 6.75 0.14 0.07
Atheists	69,995	2.50
Prefer not to answer	386,024	13.79
Believers without denomination	153,630	5.49
Not relevant/not stated	68,022	2.43

Ethnic groups

Regions with a traditional presence of ethnic or linguistic groups other than Albanian.

Ethnic composition of Albania per the 1989 census:
Red - Albanian majority
Green - Greek majority
Yellow - Macedonian majority

Albania recognizes three national minorities, Greeks, Macedonians and Montenegrins, and two cultural minorities, Aromanians and Romani people.^[12] As conducting a satisfactory census of ethnic minorities is one of the country's commitments to the European Union, the Albanian government conducted an official census to clarify the ethnic composition of the population in 2011.^[13] The last census to include data on ethnic minorities was conducted in 1989. The census conducted in 2001 did not collect information about ethnic groups and nationalities in the population.^[14]

Population of Albania according to ethnic group 1945-2011

Ethnic group	census 1945		census 1950		census 1955		census 1960		census 1979		census 1989[15]		census 2011^1
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Albanians	1,075,500	95.9	1,186,100	97.3	1,349,100	97.0	1,581745	97.3	2,535,913	97.9	3,117,601	98.0	2,312,356	82.58
Greeks	26,535	2.4	29,000	2.4	35,345	2.5	40,000	2.5	49,307	1.9	58,758	1.8	24,243	0.87
Romani	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8,301	0.30
Aromanians	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8,266	0.30
Macedonians	14,400	1.3	2,273	0.2	3,341	0.2	4,235	0.3	4,097	0.2	4,697	0.15	5,512	0.20
Balkan Egyptians	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3,368	0.12
Serbs–Montenegrins	-	-	1,570	0.1	3,713	0.3	300	0.0	1,283	0.0	100	0.00	366	0.01
Other	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5,600	0.5	1,261	0.04	2,644	0.11
^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,^[16] whereas Montenegrins live in the north.^[17] Macedonians mostly live in Mala Prespa and the regions along the Macedonian border, known as 'Golo Brdo' and 'Gora'.

Vital statistics

[3][4][18]	Average population (x 1000)	Live births	Deaths	Natural change	Crude birth rate (per 1000)	Crude death rate (per 1000)	Natural change (per 1000)	Fertility rates	Infant mortality rate (per 1000 live births)
1934	1 010	33 884	14 440	19 444	34.7	16.7	18.0
1935	1 012	32 640	13 373	19 267	33.1	17.0	16.1
1936	1 014	34 199	16 788	17 411	33.7	16.6	17.1
1937	1 030	34 829	20 036	14 793	33.8	19.5	14.3
1938	1 048	36 138	18 512	17 626	34.3	17.7	16.6
1939	1 070	29 597	16 013	13 584	27.9	15.0	12.9
1940	1 088	33 651	17 812	15 839	31.3	16.4	14.9
1941	1 100	30 627	18 234	12 393	28.0	16.6	11.4
1942	1 117	36 683	15 899	20 784	32.8	14.2	18.6
1948	1 164	42 141	18 883	23 258	36.2	16.2	20.0
1949	1 183	46 196	14 970	31 226	39.0	12.7	26.4
1950	1 215	47 291	17 215	30 076	38.9	14.2	24.8
1951	1 242	47 813	18 862	28 951	38.5	15.2	23.3
1952	1 270	44 727	19 826	24 901	35.2	15.6	19.6
1953	1 302	53 273	17 822	35 451	40.9	13.7	27.2
1954	1 340	54 635	17 560	37 075	40.8	13.1	27.7
1955	1 379	61 300	20 750	40 550	44.5	15.0	29.4
1956	1 421	59 565	16 370	43 195	41.9	11.5	30.4
1957	1 462	57 241	17 241	40 000	39.2	11.8	27.4
1958	1 507	63 007	14 059	48 948	41.8	9.3	32.5
1959	1 556	65 213	15 305	49 908	41.9	9.8	32.1
1960	1 607	69 686	16 775	52 911	43.4	10.4	32.9	6.57
1961	1 660	68 452	15 445	53 007	41.2	9.3	31.9	6.21
1962	1 711	67 209	18 363	48 846	39.3	10.7	28.5	5.93
1963	1 763	68 967	17 646	51 321	39.1	10.0	29.1	5.88
1964	1 814	68 599	15 811	52 788	37.8	8.7	29.1	5.66
1965	1 864	65 692	16 731	48 961	35.2	9.0	26.3	5.28
1966	1 914	65 127	16 469	48 658	34.0	8.6	25.4	5.06
1967	1 965	69 261	16 565	52 696	35.2	8.4	26.8	5.23
1968	2 019	71 869	16 214	55 655	35.6	8.0	27.6	5.26
1969	2 080	73 458	15 624	57 834	35.3	7.5	27.8	5.56
1970	2 136	69 507	19 774	49 733	32.5	9.3	23.3	5.12
1971	2 188	72 784	17 768	55 016	33.3	8.1	25.1	5.21
1972	2 239	73 607	17 616	55 991	33.3	7.9	25.4	5.22
1973	2 292	69 754	18 032	51 722	30.4	7.9	22.5	4.81
1974	2 346	71 862	17 726	54 136	30.2	7.6	22.6	4.77
1975	2 401	70 688	17 399	53 289	29.6	7.3	22.3	4.66
1976	2 454	70 510	17 029	53 481	29.0	6.9	22.1	4.45
1977	2 508	73 439	16 638	56 801	28.4	6.6	21.8	4.19
1978	2 563	70 594	16 219	54 375	27.5	6.3	21.2	3.81
1979	2 617	72 055	17 421	54 634	27.5	6.7	20.9	3.86
1980	2 671	70 680	16 981	53 699	26.5	6.4	20.1	3.62
1981	2 724	72 180	18 001	54 179	26.5	6.6	19.9	3.44
1982	2 780	77 232	16 521	60 711	27.8	5.9	21.8	3.56
1983	2 838	73 762	17 416	56 346	26.0	6.1	19.9	3.25
1984	2 897	79 177	16 618	62 559	27.3	5.7	21.6	3.38
1985	2 957	77 535	17 179	60 356	26.2	5.8	20.4	3.26
1986	3 016	76 435	17 369	59 066	25.3	5.8	19.6	3.11
1987	3 076	79 696	17 119	62 577	25.9	5.6	20.3	3.16
1988	3 138	80 241	17 027	63 214	25.6	5.4	20.1	3.03
1989	3 199	78 862	18 168	60 694	24.7	5.7	19.0	2.96
1990	3 245	82 125	18 193	63 932	25.2	5.6	19.6	3.03
1991	3 225	77 361	17 743	59 618	24.0	5.5	18.5	3.00
1992	3 179	75 425	18 026	57 399	23.7	5.7	18.1	2.80
1993	3 208	67 730	17 920	49 810	21.1	5.6	15.5	2.57
1994	3 035	72 179	18 342	53 837	23.8	6.0	17.7	2.74
1995	3 030	72 081	18 060	54 021	23.8	6.0	17.8	2.62
1996	3 076	68 354	17 600	50 754	22.2	5.7	16.5	2.63270
1997	3 075	61 739	18 237	43 502	20.1	5.9	14.1	2.42596
1998	3 055	60 139	18 250	41 889	19.7	6.0	13.7	2.43173
1999	3 054	57 948	16 720	41 228	19.0	5.5	13.5	2.40130
2000	3 061	50 077	16 421	33 656	16.4	5.4	11.0	2.15756
2001	3 064	53 205	19 013	34 192	17.4	6.2	11.2	2.30618
2002	3 052	42 527	19 187	23 340	13.9	6.3	7.6	1.90352
2003	3 040	45 313	21 294	24 019	14.9	7.0	7.9	2.05831
2004	3 027	40 989	20 269	20 720	13.5	6.7	6.8	1.86171
2005	3 011	38 898	20 430	18 468	12.9	6.8	6.1	1.78777
2006	2 993	35 891	20 852	15 039	12.0	7.0	5.0	1.67205
2007	2 970	34 448	20 886	13 562	11.6	7.0	4.6	1.61709
2008	2 947	33 445	20 749	12 696	11.3	7.0	4.3	1.58257
2009	2 928	34 114	20 428	13 686	11.7	7.0	4.7	1.62753
2010	2 913	34 061	20 107	13 954	11.7	6.9	4.8	1.63119
2011	2 905	34 285	20 012	14 273	11.8	6.9	4.9	1.65221
2012[19]	2 900	35 473	20 849	14 446	12.2	7.2	5.0	1.71952
2013[20]	2 897	35 750	20 442	15 308	12.3	7.1	5.3	1.80740
2014 p	2 893	35 760	20 656	15 104	12.3	7.1	5.3	1.78355
2015[21]	2 889	33 221	22 422	10 799	11.5	7.8	3.7	1.69

Fertility Rate (The Demographic Health Survey) ^[22]

Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and CBR (Crude Birth Rate):

Year	CBR (Total)	TFR (Total)	CBR (Urban)	TFR (Urban)	CBR (Rural)	TFR (Rural)
2008-2009	10,0	1,6 (1,4)	8,4	1,3 (1,2)	11,3	1,8 (1,5)

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Population

3,029,278 (July 2015 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 18.78% (male 300,661/female 268,369)

15-24 years: 18.67% (male 291,479/female 274,019)

25-54 years: 40.39% (male 582,207/female 641,361)

55-64 years: 10.85% (male 163,003/female 165,805)

65 years and over: 11.3% (male 160,913/female 181,461) (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 32 years

male: 30.8 years

female: 33.3 years (2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.3% (2015 est.)

Birth rate

12.92 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Death rate

6.58 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Net migration rate

-3.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 57.4% of total population (2015)

rate of urbanization: 2.21% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.13 years

male: 75.49 years

female: 81.04 years (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.5 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 97.6%

male: 98.4%

female: 96.9% (2015 est.)

See also

• Ashkali and Balkan Egyptians
• Albanian diaspora
• Greeks in Albania
• Macedonians of Albania

References

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "2006 edition".
•  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Library of Congress Country Studies.

1. Britannica Online
2. "Macedonians and Greeks Join Forces against Albanian Census". balkanchronicle. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
3. B.R. Mitchell. European historical statistics, 1750-1975.
4. UN Demographic Yearbooks
5. Albania: 2001 population census, official web site. Retrieved on 19 June 2009
6. CEC: Central Election Commission website
7. http://census.al/Resources/Data/Census2011/Instat_print%20.pdf
8. "Third Opinion on Albania adopted on 23 November 2011" (PDF). Council of Europe. 4 June 2012.
9. "Letter of concern at the Albania Census 2011" (PDF). World Council of Churches. 6 May 2013.
10. "Macedonians and Greeks Join Forces against Albanian Census". balkanchronicle. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
11. Albanian census 2011
12. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Albania : Overview
14. Individual questionnaire used in the 2001 population census in Albania. Retrieved on 19 June 2009
15. http://pop-stat.mashke.org/albania-ethnic1989.htm
16. Farsarotul.org
17. The Albanian Census of 1918
18. Institute of Statistics of Albania
19. http://www.instat.gov.al/media/195035/statistika_4_2012_.pdf
20. http://www.instat.gov.al/media/257796/femra_dhe_meshkuj_2014_.pdf
22. http://www.dhsprogram.com/

External links

• Institute of Statistics of Albania (INSTAT)
• Population cartogram of Albania