Eurostat: Albania's population decreased by 12 people per 1,000 inhabitants in 2024, the highest rates in Europe

2026-05-22 10:45:00, Aktualitet CNA

Eurostat: Albania's population decreased by 12 people per 1,000 inhabitants

Albania's population decline was unusual for a country not at war. The latest Eurostat data show that for every 1,000 inhabitants, Albania's population fell by 12 in 2024, representing the gross rate of net migration, proving that the country is experiencing an unprecedented contraction in peacetime.

This figure means that within the year 2024 alone, Albania has lost around 29,000 inhabitants as a result of emigration.
The comparison with the European Union is shocking.

The EU average for this indicator is moving in positive figures, around +5.2 per 1,000 inhabitants, which means that in the same year more than 5 people per 1,000 people were added to the EU. While Europe is growing and becoming richer in human capital, Albania is still serving as a net exporter that is losing its workforce.

Even within the Western Balkans region, Albania remains in the hottest zone of the crisis. While countries like Serbia show greater resilience in terms of net migration, Albania is suffering the hardest hit.

This phenomenon is pushing the country towards a dangerous demographic crossroads. Unlike past decades, when natural growth and births somewhat balanced emigration, today Albania is being hit from both sides, with birth rates falling to historic lows, while the exodus of young people continues at a high rate.

In Europe, positive net migration is helping countries cope with aging, but in Albania, the negative figure is accelerating the country's shrinkage and aging. In this way, Albania is losing the population of an average city like Lezha or Kavaja every year.

Our country is experiencing what Central and Eastern European countries managed to stop years ago. If we look at the table, countries like Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and the Baltic states (Estonia, Lithuania) are showing a completely opposite trend.

For example, Estonia and Lithuania, which once had emigration rates similar to Albania, now have positive net migration. Estonia has managed to absorb not only foreign professionals through digitalization, but also to bring back its citizens, turning the figure from negative to an increase of +2 to +4 per 1,000 inhabitants.

The change is also impressive in Poland and Hungary. These countries used a dual strategy that Albania is still not effectively applying: aggressive wage growth to curb emigration and strong support policies for young families to improve natural change.

Poland, from a country that supplied Western Europe with labor, has today become a regional magnet.

While we lose 1.2% of our population each year from this indicator alone, these countries are increasing their resident population, creating a more stable economy and a more secure job market.

Even within our region, the Croatian model is significant. After joining the EU, Croatia suffered a strong emigration shock, but in recent years it has been seeing a trend of stabilization and return of the workforce, thanks to full integration and investments in infrastructure and technology.

Albania, meanwhile, remains hostage to emigration that is not stopping, while the countries of the former East used emigration as a transitional phase towards development, in our country this phenomenon is turning into a chronic condition. The figure -12.1 is proof that, unlike our neighbors to the east, we have not yet created the reasons to return.

Poland and Romania managed to reverse the trend by becoming industrial and technological centers, but tourism-oriented Albania cannot keep its population in the country. Experts claim that Albania should learn from the school of the East, as emigration can be defeated, but only by making the country livable for those who flee. /Monitor