Demographics of Albania

Historical

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. 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.

Census results

p=provisional figure

Number of households

726,895

Registered Voters

According to CEC, 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. 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. 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. 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. Some of the minorities, mainly the Greeks, boycotted the census.

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.

Ethnic groups

Albania recognizes three national minorities, Greeks, Macedonians and Montenegrins, and two cultural minorities, Aromanians and Romani people. 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. 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.

Vlachs (Aromanians) live in the south of the country, whereas Montenegrins live in the north. Macedonians mostly live in Mala Prespa and the regions along the Macedonian border, known as 'Golo Brdo' and 'Gora'.

Fertility Rate (The Demographic Health Survey)

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

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.)