1990-2020, Albania had the biggest decline in the Region of young people up to 24 years old

In 1990, young people aged 0-24 made up 46.7 percent of the country's population, while in 2020 they made up only 31 percent of the total.

This was the sharpest decline compared to countries in the Region and other developing countries in Europe and Central Asia, said a recent study by the European Treatment Foundation on the latest trends in employment and skills.

When it comes to employment trends, one's human capital and educational skills come first. The data compared in the study show that Albania's perspective in new employment models has been compromised by negative demographic developments.

The whole region and Europe are involved in the process of population aging, but in Albania this is happening faster.

For example, in Bosnia, young people in the 0-24 age group made up 37 percent of the country's total population, while in 2020 they made up 26.3%.

Montenegro and Macedonia had similar trends, while Serbia had a milder downward trend. In 2020, Serbia has the 0-24 age group as 24.6% of the total population from the 30.2% it had in 1990 with a milder decline than the Region.

Despite the strong decline, Albania and Kosovo are the countries where the young population is still at the highest levels in the Region.

For example, in 2020 in Kosovo, almost 40.7% of the population was aged 0-24, while this indicator was 54.7% in 1990.

Other sources of data from the country indicate that the decline in young cohorts is being created by high youth immigration trends and declining births.

Emigration factors have a multiple impact, as departures leave behind a gap in fertility in later periods. This is also shown by the fact that the Albanian population in emigration is growing year after year and the local population is in a steady downward trend.

The results of the survey that was conducted by the Regional Cooperation Council in May-June 2023 in 6 countries of the Western Balkans showed that although Albania has so far experienced stronger emigration than the Region, it still has a high potential of leaving the country, especially for educated young people. The survey shows that 31 percent of Albanians plan to leave the country. But most importantly, 18 percent of them already have plans and have found ways to escape.

Those who intend to leave, in general, are concentrated in the active working group 18-44, while those who do not want to leave dominate the 45-65+ group of the population./ Monitor