Albania is facing challenges related to its population and education system, which are evident in declining graduation, enrollment, and employment rates among young people.

Data released by the national statistics institute, INSTAT, reveals that fewer Albanian youth are joining the workforce after completing their studies, while graduation and enrollment rates continue to fall year on year.

In the academic year 2021-2022, 30,910 students graduated from higher education, which is a decrease of 5.4% compared to the previous year. The most popular fields of study were business, administration, and law, which comprised more than a quarter of the graduates. Engineering was the preferred field for male students (21.3%), while health was popular among women (19.2%).

The decrease in the number of graduates is not limited to higher education alone but is observed across all levels of schooling. INSTAT reported that in 2021-2022, 90,324 students graduated from formal education, reflecting a decrease of nearly 6% compared to the previous year.

Enrollment rates also saw a rapid decline in the 2022-2023 school year, with a total of 554,222 enrollments, representing a 4.1% decrease from the previous academic year. This decline was particularly notable in primary schools (4% decrease) and secondary schools (7.4% decrease). The number of secondary students pursuing higher education dropped by 2.0%, with a 2.3% decrease in bachelor programs.

The most popular subjects chosen for enrollment in higher education in the 2022-2023 academic year were business, administration, and law, while agriculture, forestry, fishing, and veterinary studies had the fewest enrollees. Compared to the previous year, there was a significant decrease in students pursuing arts and humanities (almost 17% decrease) and natural sciences, mathematics, and statistics (over 10% decrease).

These challenges in the education system and population are not new to Albania. UNICEF reported in 2022 that approximately 17% of individuals aged 18-24 had dropped out of school in 2021, and almost a quarter of those between 15-24 were neither employed nor enrolled in any education.

The population of Albania is estimated to be around 2,7 million. A census, scheduled for September, will provide more accurate information on the number of citizens and their demographics.