Albania Population: 2,878,915

Albania is a small country located in the western part of the Balkan peninsula in southern Europe. The country is situated in Adriatic and the Ionian Sea. The country has a mountainous terrain with a major part of the country covered by mountains and hills. The northern part of the country is heavily forested and is covered by North Albanian Alps. Forests cover 1/3rd of the total area of Albania.

Largest cities in Albania in terms of population

Tirana has the highest population in Albania. Other major cities in Albania as per population are Durres, Elbasan, and Vlore.

CITY NAME POPULATION CITY NAME POPULATION
Tirana 374,801 Kavaje 29,354
Durres 122,034 Lac 24,825
Elbasan 100,903 Gjirokaster 23,437
Vlore 89,546 Patos Fshat 22,679
Shkoder 88,245 Kruje 21,286
Pogradec 61,530 Lezhe 18,695
Fier-Cifci 60,995 Kucove 18,166
Patos 60,000 Kukes 17,832
Korce 58,259 Burrel 15,405
Fier 56,297 Sarande 15,147
Berat 46,866
Lushnje 41,469

Albania Population History

The population of Albania in 2020, as per UN data, is 2,877,797. The population has more than doubled in the period between 1955 and 2020. However, the population has shown a steady decrease from 2005 to 2020, registering negative growth during this period. The global rank of Albania in terms of population is 140.

Year Population Yearly % Change Yearly Change Migrants (net) Median Age Fertility Rate Density (P/Km²) Urban Pop % Urban Population Country’s Share of World Pop World Population Global Rank
2020 2,877,797 -0.11% -3,120 -14,000 36.4 1.62 105 63.50% 1,827,362 0.04% 7,794,798,739 140
2019 2,880,917 -0.06% -1,823 -14,000 35.2 1.69 105 62.50% 1,799,162 0.04% 7,713,468,100 140
2018 2,882,740 -0.05% -1,429 -14,000 35.2 1.69 105 61.40% 1,769,975 0.04% 7,631,091,040 140
2017 2,884,169 -0.08% -2,269 -14,000 35.2 1.69 105 60.30% 1,740,032 0.04% 7,547,858,925 140
2016 2,886,438 -0.14% -4,075 -14,000 35.2 1.69 105 59.20% 1,709,611 0.04% 7,464,022,049 141
2015 2,890,513 -0.39% -11,502 -27,318 34.9 1.71 105 58.10% 1,679,011 0.04% 7,379,797,139 141
2010 2,948,023 -0.92% -27,757 -43,472 32.2 1.64 108 52.00% 1,533,860 0.04% 6,956,823,603 138
2005 3,086,810 -0.27% -8,487 -35,355 29.1 1.95 113 46.60% 1,438,933 0.05% 6,541,907,027 134
2000 3,129,243 0.10% 3,261 -35,921 27 2.38 114 41.60% 1,303,137 0.05% 6,143,493,823 131
1995 3,112,936 -1.08% -34,627 -88,642 24.6 2.79 114 38.80% 1,208,874 0.05% 5,744,212,979 130
1990 3,286,073 2.05% 63,280 -20 24 3.15 120 36.40% 1,195,379 0.06% 5,327,231,061 125
1985 2,969,672 2.05% 57,396 -20 22.8 3.41 108 35.00% 1,040,849 0.06% 4,870,921,740 125
1980 2,682,690 2.15% 54,192 -20 21.4 3.9 98 33.70% 905,234 0.06% 4,458,003,514 125
1975 2,411,732 2.32% 52,205 -20 20.2 4.6 88 32.70% 788,758 0.06% 4,079,480,606 126
1970 2,150,707 2.55% 50,907 -20 19.6 5.26 78 31.70% 682,607 0.06% 3,700,437,046 125
1965 1,896,171 2.99% 52,016 -20 19.7 6.23 69 31.20% 592,158 0.06% 3,339,583,597 127
1960 1,636,090 2.87% 43,219 -20 20.2 6.55 60 30.70% 502,359 0.05% 3,034,949,748 124
1955 1,419,994 2.37% 31,364 -20 20.6 6.23 52 26.90% 381,458 0.05% 2,773,019,936 127

Albania Population Forecast

The population of Albania is estimated to decrease to 2,424,061 in 2050. The population is estimated to continue to register negative growth. In fact, the negative growth rate is expected to increase. The share in the world population is also estimated to drop from the current 0.04% to 0.02% in 2050. Consequently, the global rank is also expected to plummet from 140 to 148.

Year Population Yearly % Change Yearly Change Migrants (net) Median Age Fertility Rate Density (P/Km²) Urban Pop % Urban Population Country’s Share of World Pop World Population Global Rank
2020 2,877,797 -0.09% -2,543 -14,000 36.4 1.62 105 63.50% 1,827,362 0.04% 7,794,798,739 140
2025 2,840,464 -0.26% -7,467 -14,000 38.4 1.62 104 68.60% 1,948,831 0.03% 8,184,437,460 141
2030 2,786,974 -0.38% -10,698 -11,000 40.7 1.62 102 73.10% 2,038,245 0.03% 8,548,487,400 143
2035 2,721,082 -0.48% -13,178 -8,000 43.2 1.62 99 76.80% 2,090,417 0.03% 8,887,524,213 145
2040 2,634,384 -0.65% -17,340 -8,000 45.7 1.62 96 80.00% 2,106,349 0.03% 9,198,847,240 146
2045 2,533,645 -0.78% -20,148 -8,000 47.9 1.62 92 83.00% 2,101,720 0.03% 9,481,803,274 147
2050 2,424,061 -0.88% -21,917 50 1.62 88 85.90% 2,083,271 0.02% 9,735,033,990 148

Albania Demographics

The main ethnic groups in Albania are Gegs in the north and Tosks in the south, making up 82.6% of the population. Non-Alabanian groups such as Greeks and Macedonians make up the rest.

The sex ratio is 1.04. Males make up 50.90% of the population, while the share of females is 49.10%. The life expectancy at birth for both genders is 78.96 years. In terms of age group, the largest share is of 25-54 years people making up 39.7% of the population. 0-14 years age group is the second-largest making up 17.2% of the population.

Albania religion and politics

The dominant religion in Albania is Sunni Islam, with 56.7% of the population being its adherents. Bektashi Muslims, Roman Catholics, and other smaller religious groups are also present in the country.

Communists gained control of Albania after the Second World War. The Communist regime in Albania fell due to revolutions in 1991, and the country became a parliamentary constitutional republic. The head of government is the Prime Minister.

Albania Economy

GDP per-capita of Albania is lower than all other countries in the EU. Albanian economy is mainly driven by the service sector, agriculture, and industry. Tourism is also an important source of revenue for the country. GPD growth between 2016 and 2019 has mainly been over 3%.

Largest Countries in the World by Population

S.No Country Population (2020) World Population Share (%)
1 China 1,439,323,776 18.47%
2 India 1,380,004,385 17.70%
3 United States 331,002,651 4.25%
4 Indonesia 273,523,615 3.51%
5 Pakistan 220,892,340 2.83%
6 Brazil 212,559,417 2.73%
7 Nigeria 206,139,589 2.64%
8 Bangladesh 164,689,383 2.11%
9 Russia 145,934,462 1.87%
10 Mexico 128,932,753 1.65%