UN: Albania among the 6 countries with the largest population decline in the world

The United Nations Organization (UN), in the new projections for the progress of the world's population until 2054, refers that Albania is ranked among the countries with the largest population decline between 2024-2054 in the global range.

The report mentions that the group of countries that includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, Puerto Rico and Moldova will face a population decline of 14% in the next 30 years. These countries will have the highest global rates of population decline.

In 63 other countries and areas, which account for 28% of the world's population, their population will peak before 2024. This group includes China, Germany, Japan and Russia.

In 48 countries and areas, representing 10% of the world's population in 2024, population numbers are projected to peak between 2025 and 2054. This group includes Brazil, Iran, Turkey and Vietnam. The population in these locations is projected to grow by 5.3% in the next thirty years.

In the remaining 126 countries and territories, the population is likely to continue to grow until 2054, potentially reaching a peak after 2100. This group includes some of the world's most populous countries: India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and the United States United States of America. The number of people living in these locations is expected to increase by 38% by 2054.

In nine of these countries and areas, including Angola, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Somalia, population growth is likely to be very rapid, with populations doubling between 2024 and 2054. These countries will lead the population of the globe to the peak, the UN refers.

Countries where fertility levels are already below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman and also have high emigration of people of reproductive age will face population decline. Albania also belongs to this group.

International migration also indirectly affects the number of births in countries of destination and countries of origin.

In countries such as Albania, Armenia, Guadeloupe or Jamaica, the emigration of a large number of women of reproductive age can reduce the number of births that occur in those countries, the UN points out, while noting that in countries such as Portugal, the Russian Federation and Spain, the return of immigrants had the opposite effect.

From a demographic perspective, births "lost to immigration" or "gained to immigration" have both short- and long-term consequences, as girls born today are the next generation of reproductive-age women.

In countries with high immigration rates, if more opportunities and especially decent jobs are created promoting return migration may be approaches to explore and may be more effective in slowing population decline in the short term than policies aimed at increasing fertility rates.

Recently, INSTAT's 2023 Census found that the population of Albania has decreased to 2.4 million inhabitants, or 420 thousand inhabitants less than in the 2011 Census./ MONITOR