Albania is aging and its population is shrinking. While life expectancy continues to rise, the number of births is falling.

The year 2025 marked a significant decline in births across the country, signaling a crisis with long-term social and economic consequences. According to data from INSTAT, 21,425 births were registered last year, 8.1% fewer than in 2024, meaning that within one year Albania had 1,885 fewer newborns. Compared to the early 1990s, when over 82,000 births were recorded annually, this represents a decline of approximately 74%.

Experts link this trend to the aging population, with the average age reaching 44.3 years, as well as to declining fertility, which has dropped to just 1.21 children per woman.

The hardest hit region was Dibër, with a 20.4% decline, followed by Korçë with 18.5%. Even economically significant regions such as Fier, Elbasan, Vlorë, and Durrës recorded double-digit decreases. Tirana remains the region with the highest number of births, but even the capital experienced a slight decline of 2%.

The figures clearly show that Albania is entering a critical demographic phase, which requires urgent policies to curb the decline in birth rates and ensure the country’s sustainability in the decades ahead.