According to the population census, 300 fewer inhabitants are expected

The Statistics Agency of Kosovo has called on citizens to respond positively to the population census, when there is still one week left from the end of the process. KAS forecasts until the end of the process are that the number of resident population in Kosovo will be 1.5 million inhabitants, about 300 thousand less than in the last census (2011). The causes are estimated to be migration and the drop in the birth rate, for which actions are required from the Government

Calls to citizens to respond positively to the population census were addressed on Friday by the Statistics Agency of Kosovo, there are still seven days left until the end of the process. While 1.3 million residents have been registered in Kosovo by Thursday, the acting executive director of KAS, Avni Kastrati, said that the number could reach 1.5 million by the end of the process. This figure is about 300 thousand lower than in the last census. Kastrati estimates that migration and the drop in the birth rate have an impact on this decline.

"Because of emigration, that is, especially young people who have a direct impact on fertility. When the structure that is fertile has an impact on the total number but also on the fertility rate. In other words, there are two factors", he said.

The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Lulzim Rafuna, finds the reduction of the population to such a high figure worrying, as he says. According to him, the Government should have concrete economic measures with which it should promote not only the birth rate but also the stay of the labor force within the state.

"The first one had to have exclusively a strategy and a plan for increasing the birth rate and, secondly, it had to have a plan for the prevention and return of young men and women who went abroad to return in the form of investors. When I say prevention, it should subsidize start-ups", said Rafuna.

Despite the importance of the registration, Kastrati also pointed to the challenges and conditions of the process from the citizens. 

"It's a neighborhood, they haven't attended us yet, here near Pristina. They have certain conditions, infrastructure, sewerage, water supply", added Kastrati.

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For those who refuse to respond to this legal obligation that will last until May 17, there are financial consequences of up to two thousand euros.

According to the final results of the population census in 2011, 1.739.825 were the number of inhabitants in Kosovo, excluding the Municipality of North Mitrovica, Leposaviq, Zubin-Potok and Zveçan. Even in this registration process, at the call of the Serbian List, the Serbian citizens of these municipalities are boycotting the process.