Figures from INSTAT showed there was an increase in deaths of 25.8% in 2020 when compared to 2019.
In 2020, some 27,605 people died when compared to around 22,000 the year before. When you look at the data over the preceding five years, the average number of deaths is around the 22,000 mark meaning there was a sharp increase in deaths in 2020.
The main variable between 2019 and 2020 was the COVID-19 pandemic. The first case was noted in Albania in March 2020.
The government has recorded around 1315 deaths from the pandemic, leaving almost 4700 ‘excess’ deaths.
According to data from the EU, there were almost 300,000 more deaths between March and October 2020, than in the same periods during the years 2016-2019. The EU found that the increase in deaths was between 8% and 25% during the year.
Data presented by INSTAT showed a decrease in births in 2020 of 1.7%. But the lowest rate of births was noted in the last quarter with numbers falling 11.4% on the previous year. This suggests that a lockdown baby boom did not happen as predicted.
Various countries predicted an increase in births due to people being at home together for months, but this has not happened in Albania, the UK, France, the US, or Italy. In fact, many countries noted a significant decrease in the number of births during this period when compared to previous years.
Despite falling numbers and higher death rates, there was a positive natural increase where births exceeded deaths during 2020. There were 470 births more than deaths during the year.
Exit has contacted the Ministry of Health to ask for clarification on the high rate of deaths this year, when compared to the average over the last few years.
