For two years now, Albania has reported a considerable decrease in birth rates. In fact, in 2020 a record high drop in the natural growth of the population was registered; something that hadn’t occurred since 1948.

Last year, authorities registered 27,600 new births and 28,026 fatalities in our country, which meant for the lowest level of natural growth of our population.

However, it seems that 2021 will speak a different language when it comes to numbers as if we refer to the data for the past 4 months, January-April, 12,766 new birth have already been registered in the country.

This was announced by the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Ogerta Manastirliu. However, it seems that births of children being born abroad in emigrant families have also been included in this number in order for them to benefit from the baby-bonus check.

Albania is the second country in the region, after Serbia, with a negative natural growth. Another factor contributing to the decline of the population is the high level of our emigration during the last decade, with around 40% of the population living abroad.

Emigration trends have sped up again especially in during the last years, including the of departure of entire families. During the last decade, 6.6% of families have left the country, which amounts to a total of 49.500 families, whereas from 2001-2011, 4.4% of families had left.