Amid nationally declining birth rates, the Albanian capital of Tirana was always bucking the trend until 2022, when the numbers decreased for the first time.
Between the end of communism in 1990 to 2021, the annual number of births in Albania decreased from 82,000 to 27,000. In addition, some 1.4 million are believed to have left the country in the same period, with at least 400,000 going in the last decade.
While birthrates have dropped throughout the country as many move abroad or to Tirana, the capital always saw a positive trend. But during the first nine months of 2022, there was a 9% decrease in births, the lowest level since 2011.
According to INSTAT data, the population of the District of Tirana reached 919 511 on 1 January 2022, 7,032 more than in January 2021, with an expansion of 0.8%. The of people Tirana increased by 16,000-17,000 new residents per year from 2001 to 2015, but in 2017 and 2018, this increase was more visible.
In 2017, Tirana grew and added 19,400 new residents; in 2019, this increase exceeded 21,000 people. But in the three years 2018 and 2020, and 2021, the population increase marked a significant slowdown.
According to the Immigration Survey, the population of the District of Tirana decreased by 13.7%, or by 102,000 people, during 2011-2019. Of these, 77,000 people have migrated grouped in families. The survey revealed that Tirana has the highest emigration of family units compared to other counties. During the period, 10.3% of the families of the district of Tirana emigrated.
Many Albanians are finding it hard to afford life in Tirana as house prices, rental cost, and the general cost of living soars. Instead, they rent a property and prepare to emigrate instead of remaining in Albania and having a family.
The average cost of purchasing property is over EUR 1000 per square metre, even in the city’s suburbs, while in the central area, they can exceed EUR 5000.
