7 regions with natural population decline by 2024, Korça leads

The country's natural increase (births minus deaths) was positive last year because the decline in deaths was stronger than the decline in births.

Across the country, there were 1,178 more births than deaths, but in 7 regions of the country, the natural increase was negative according to demographic data for 2024 from INSTAT.

Of the country's 12 regions, Korça had the largest decline in natural sales, with deaths far higher than births. In the southeastern city, 1,155 babies were born last year, while 1,929 people died, or 774 more than births.

Fier was the city with the second largest natural population decline. In 2024, 1897 babies were born in this city, while 2481 people died, causing the natural increase to be negative by 584 people.

In Vlora, the number of deaths last year was 554 people higher than births, in Berat there were 368 more deaths than births, in Gjirokastër there were 354 more deaths than births, in Shkodra 176 and in Elbasan 142.

Only the regions of Lezha, Durrës, Dibra, Kukës and Tirana had negative natural increase. Tirana, due to its younger population than the other regions, had 3047 more births than deaths, contributing to maintaining the natural increase at a positive level at the national level. In Durrës there were also 571 more births than deaths, in Dibra 243, in Kukës 192 and in Lezha there were only 22 more births than deaths.

The natural increase in population in Albania, which represents the difference between births and deaths, has suffered a significant decline from 1990 to 2023.

The natural increase was about 64,000 people, with 82,000 births and 18,000 deaths. Before the pandemic in 2019, the natural increase fell to 6,624 people, with 28,561 births and over 22,000 deaths.

In 2021, for the first time, natural increase became negative, with 3,296 more deaths than births, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, the country's natural increase was 1178 as 22,425 babies were born across the country and 2147 people lost their lives.

Demographic projections show that Albania's population will continue to decline in the coming decades. International reports suggest that by 2050, Albania could lose 25% of its population. The decline is attributed to high levels of emigration among young people, contributing to the shrinking working-age population and the country's natural increase.

From these developments, the average age of the population increased by 7.5 years between 2011 and 2023 when the two censuses were conducted./ Monitor