The population of Albania shrunk by 1.3% in 2021 according to the National Institute of Statistics’s (INSTAT) yearly demographics report.
As of January 1, 2022, 2.793.592 live in Albania, compared to 2.829.741 on January 1, 2021.
During 2021, Albania saw more deaths (30,580) than births (27,284) marking a negative natural population increase for the first time since 1923. Deaths increased by 10.8%, while births decreased by 2.8%.
Furthermore, the report found that 42,048 Albanians had emigrated in 2021, a return to the yearly average after a 45% decrease in emigration numbers during 2020 that was attributed to COVID-related restrictions on movement.
The median age of the population continues to increase as well, standing now at 38,2, compared to 37,6 during 2020.
INSTATÂ reports have shown that the Albanian population has been shrinking since 2016.
Decreasing birth rates and increasing emigration rates are the twin forces behind these trends. And a shrinking but aging population poses great risks to Albania’s social security system.
