IOM: Albania among the most at risk in Europe from the emigration of reproductive-age populations, consequences

Albania is among the European countries where emigration may further contribute to population decline, due to the departure of people of reproductive age, estimates the International Organization for Migration in its “World Migration Report 2026”.

The report highlights that Europe has the largest number of countries that have experienced a significant population decline during the period 2005–2024. According to IOM, in some countries on the continent, population decline is mainly linked to low birth rates, while emigration has also contributed to this trend.

The report mentions Albania alongside Lithuania, Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina as countries where fertility rates are already below the population replacement level.

“In countries such as Albania, Lithuania, the Republic of Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where fertility rates are already below the population replacement level, the emigration of people of reproductive age may contribute to further population decline, due to the number of births lost after people leave the country,” the report states.

The report also notes that over the next three decades, some European countries, such as Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Lithuania, are expected to lose 20% or more of their population. For many European countries, immigration is expected to remain a key factor for population growth, mitigating the effects of aging and low birth rates.

According to the report, in 2024 there were around 304 million international migrants worldwide, or 3.7% of the global population. Despite the increase in the absolute number of migrants, IOM emphasizes that most people still live in the country where they were born.

Albanians are becoming Europeans, 62% of emigrants under 35 years old

Other Eurostat data previously showed that emigrants who have left Albania are increasingly becoming full citizens of EU countries. In 2024, around 48.2 thousand Albanian citizens obtained citizenship in one of the European Union countries, according to Eurostat.

Since 2010, about 632 thousand Albanians have obtained passports in one of the EU countries, while in the last decade alone 522 thousand citizenships have been granted. The highest level was recorded in 2016, with around 60–67 thousand per year.

The figure of 522 thousand Albanians who obtained EU citizenship in the last decade roughly corresponds to the population decline in the country, which between the 2011 and 2023 censuses fell by about 420 thousand people, largely influenced by emigration, but also by the decrease in natural population growth as a result of fewer births.

According to Eurostat, in another indicator—the number of Albanian emigrants to EU countries—young people dominate. In 2024 alone, about 44 thousand Albanians emigrated to European Union countries.

In total, 62% of those who emigrated in 2024 were under the age of 35. A significant and vital part of the labor market with experience is also choosing to leave, with the 35–49 age group making up 20% of those who emigrated.

Historical Eurostat data show a decrease in the age of emigration. For example, in 2019, the main age group that emigrated was 30–34 years old, accounting for 15.6% of the total.

Emigration has already had an impact on the decline in births. Between 2015 and 2025, the number of children born in the country fell by 35%, reflecting not only people’s desire to have fewer children, but also a contraction of the country’s reproductive base.

Official INSTAT data indicate that between 2015 and 2025, the number of women in peak reproductive age (20–34 years old) decreased by 32%. Entire regions have lost more than half of the women of childbearing age in the last decade.

The population of young people in reproductive age shrank twice as fast as the overall population, ensuring a further sharp decline in births in the future.

Last year, 21,425 babies were born across the country, or 8% fewer than the previous year. The pace of decline has deepened after the pandemic, by around 26% during 2021–2025. In the early 1990s, births exceeded 70 thousand, or more than three times higher.

“KORÇA BOOM”