Kosovo loses over 30 students in five years

The total number of students in public and private universities has decreased by about 32 percent in the last five years. According to data from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, in 2025 the total number of students is 64 thousand 817, while five years earlier it was 95 thousand 335. Education experts have cited migration and a decline in the birth rate as the causes.

In the last five years, the number of students in public and private universities in Kosovo has decreased by 32 percent. 

According to data from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, in 2025 the total number of students is 64,817, while five years ago it was 95,335.

Education expert Xhavit Rexhaj said that the main causes of this decline are related to demographic developments and migration.

"The biggest concern is the demographic trend, Kosovo has a decline in the birth rate, so the population increase, but on the other hand there is also an exodus of the population. These are the main concerns. These concerns are also reflected in higher education, not only in the number of students, but also in the number of future graduates," said Rexhaj.

According to Rexhaj, in addition to the decline in the number of students, the problem remains the lack of institutional planning to cope with this situation.

"It saddens me that neither the government, nor the political parties, nor other factors are seeing this as a major problem. And at the same time, if we talk about the education system, I don't see that educational institutions nor the authorities, the ministry, etc., are not taking measures so that if the number of students is decreasing, these teachers are the same number of teachers, how are they being used? The same faculties, the number of students has decreased by 15 percent and the number of teachers has remained the same. I don't see any planning for the use of staff, nor the use of facilities, nor any planning for future trends and a plan for where to direct enrollments," he said.

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He stated that the lack of clear state policies is further deepening this problem.

"First, we need to create a government, because we don't have a government, we need to offer prosperity to the people here in Kosovo. Both the universities, the government, and the ministry need to train people so that foreign companies can come and invest in Kosovo, not people leaving us. There is a possibility, but political parties, governments, and whoever comes now need to think more about the people, i.e. the problem is the people leaving... why should people leave? Why not create conditions for them to stay in Kosovo? These are big questions and I don't see any authorities at any level, let alone different parties, dealing with them," Rexhaj said.

Over the last five years, 21 fewer students have been registered in schools in Kosovo. 
Based on data from the Statistics Agency, in the 2020-2021 school year, there were 229,664 students registered, and in the 2024/2025 school year, 208,515.