Census says Albania’s population falls to 2.8 million

TIRANA, Dec. 21 – Albania’s Institute of Statistics on Wednesday said the country’s population has dropped over the past ten years due to emigration and lower fertility.
Albania’s population was 2.831 million in 2011, compared to 3.069 million in 2001. Men slightly outnumbered women, by 0.2 percent, according to a statement.
The census also showed that the majority of Albanians, 53.7 percent, now live in urban areas. The institute said urban residents outnumbered the rural population for the first time in the history of censuses in Albania.
Population density was 98.5 persons per sq. kilometer.
Only about 30,000 persons did not respond to the census.
More than one million Albanians living in Western Europe and America were not included in October’s census.
The census was held amid controversy from civic organizations and minority groups over two questions on ethnicity and religious affiliation.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha considered the 2011 census a successful process. Berisha thanked all Albanians for their participation in this process of population and housing count showing that for the first time urban population is bigger in size than the rural one.