Albania is witnessing a swift acceleration in the pace of population decline in recent years, with males decreasing at higher rates than females, according to comparable data from State Institute of Statistics, known locally as "INSTAT".
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| Progress of the official number of women and men in the years 2018-2023, Source: INSTAT |
As of January 1st, 2023, there were officially 71.6 thousand fewer males throughout the country than in 2018, marking a 5% decline. During the same period, there were 36.8 thousand fewer females, with a decline of 2.6%.
Albania exhibits a gender birth ratio that favors males. On average, there are 105 boys born for every 100 girls. However, higher male emigration rates and lower life expectancy compared to females are reducing the male population, as indicated by the data.
According to regions, the largest decline in male population from 2018 to 2022 was recorded in the Gjirokastër Region with 18%, compared to the national average of 5%. Following closely was Berat with a 15% decline.
Several regions experienced double-digit declines in male population, including Dibra with -12%, Elbasan with -11%, and Fier with -10%, while only Tirana saw a 4% increase in male numbers during 2018-2023.
On the other hand, the female population saw significant declines in the Gjirokastër, Berat, and Dibra regions, with -12%, -10%, and -11%, respectively.
In regions, the male population is declining more rapidly due to internal and external emigration and lower life expectancy compared to Tirana.
There is still a trend of migration from regions towards Tirana, while emigration abroad has continued at high rates in recent years.
Most regions of the country, 9 out of 12 in total, are experiencing population decline due to internal migration, in addition to outward migration and declining birth rates. INSTAT reported that in 2022, internal migration within Albania had a significant impact on the population of administrative units.
In 2022, at the regional level, only Tirana, Durrës, and Vlorë had a net positive internal migration (more arrivals than departures). According to official INSTAT data, all other regions (Berat, Dibra, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokastër, Korçë, Kukës, Lezhë, Shkodër) experienced a net negative internal migration in 2022.
The country's population has been on a declining trend for three decades, but the working-age population (15-64 years old) is shrinking at a faster rate.
According to INSTAT data, as of January 1st, 2023, the total population of the country decreased by 1.1% compared to 2022, while the working-age population decreased by 1.8%.
The working-age population decreased by approximately 101 thousand individuals compared to 2019, before the pandemic. Currently, the working-age population is 1,864,062 individuals, down from 1,974,207 in 2019, or 101 thousand fewer.