Population decline, in 2024 as in 1981

Based on the results of the population census, Kosovo has 1 million 602 thousand 515 inhabitants. This number is 150 less than in the 2011 census, 350 less than in 1991 when the census organized by Serbia was boycotted by Albanians, and approximately the same as in the 1981 census. Experts have said that with the trend of addition of the 70s and 80s, Kosovo should have at least 3.5 million inhabitants. According to experts, in addition to socio-economic factors, systematic migration also influenced the reduction of official figures. Nearly a third of the population is believed to live abroad

Gjylë Krasniqi-Elshani, who has lived a century - half in Drenas and the other half in Pristina, is among the 50 people who have crossed the 100-year-old threshold, out of nearly 1 inhabitants as recorded in the last census of the population in Kosovo.  

Grandma Gjylë, 103 years old, says that she was born and grew up in difficult times, with great changes, including wars and social unrest. Despite the difficult circumstances of the time, thanks to a healthy regimen and a simple life, she has managed to maintain unusual optimism and excellent health. 

It shows that it is still active. She spends her days enjoying nature and keeping in touch with friends and family, who consider her an inspiration. 

"It was a difficult life, I was alone... I worked with cotton wool, with a needle, with scissors, it was good to keep them. For these 103 years, I have eaten what the whole family has eaten...", he she confessed. 

Grandma Gjylë is just one of tens of thousands of people who, for many reasons, do not have elementary education. According to the population census statistics published by the Statistics Agency, it is said that in Kosovo 1.79 percent of the population have no formal education or have not completed the level of learning literacy. Unlike the population census that was published in 2011, this figure decreased by 3.96 percent, since 13 years ago, the percentage of the population that did not know how to read and write was 5.75 percent.

According to KAS data, in the population census for 2024, the total number of illiterate population is 30 thousand 902, which in percentage falls to 2.27. And among the illiterate, 73.58 percent are women.

Demography Mimoza Dushi has emphasized that the percentage of illiteracy in Kosovo is mainly influenced by old age, where many individuals did not have the opportunity to pursue education due to the socio-economic conditions of the time. 

Dushi says that in the next census of the population in Kosovo, a significant decrease in the number of illiterates in the country is expected, thus contributing to the general advancement of society.
"In 2011, the percentage of illiteracy was 3.85 percent, this year it is 2.27 percent. Today we have compulsory primary education; compared to other countries, it is surprising that we still have illiteracy. They are mainly the elderly part of the population, who were not included in the education systems at the time when they were of school age", said demographer Dushi.

But sociologist Genc Xërxa sees a positive trend in the numbers. According to him, this reflects increased awareness of the importance of education.

"Day by day, educational institutions penetrate into every part of our society, and awareness or social emancipation affects the overall reduction of illiteracy. This is a good trend, which shows the decline of illiteracy and is to be welcomed", said Xërxa.

According to KAS data for the year 2024, 360,500 citizens own mobile phones. 193,447 of them are from urban areas, while 167,053 are from rural areas.

While sociologist Jeton Brajshori considers the still high level of illiteracy in Kosovo to be worrying, taking into account the rapid growth of technology and the availability of modern equipment. 

"As far as education is concerned, since 2011, when there were 50 illiterates, this year, that is, in 2024, there are 30, so 20 less. Although there seems to be less, still, in 2024, in our society, where every country in Kosovo has access to the Internet, it is very painful and very worrying how it is possible that in this year, in the age of technology, there are still 30 thousand illiterate people. So, the institutions should be careful to organize awareness campaigns, to work more, to have awareness training, because it is still a high figure of the population, which is 1.6 million inhabitants, and having 30 thousand illiterate people is too much painful", he said.

The new family structure – fewer children

The results of the census published in December of this year, show that in Kosovo there are 107 thousand 710 children aged 0 to 4 years, compared to the population census of 2011, which were 149 thousand 735 children of this age.

Sociologist Jeton Brajshori emphasizes that nowadays couples are carefully planning the number of children they want to have, taking into account socio-economic factors. This tendency, he says, reflects a change in family culture, becoming a determinant in the formation of the structure of a modern family.

"Considering this, that even the institutions have not done something in terms of stimulation to increase the birth rate, it is necessarily common for couples to plan to have fewer children", said the sociologist Brajshori.

The flag of Kosovo has a blue background and has a map of Kosovo and six stars placed on it. The stars officially stand for the six main ethnic groups in Kosovo: Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Gorans, Roma (in the latter, Ashkalis and Egyptians are often grouped) and Bosniaks. 
According to the KAS population census, 36 thousand 652 Serbs, 26 thousand 841 Bosniaks, 19 thousand 419 Turks, 8730 Roma, 16 thousand 207 Ashkali, 10 thousand 581 Egyptians and 9 thousand 140 Gorans live in Kosovo. . 

Demographer Mimoza Dushi says that during the population census process, about 30 percent of citizens were not given space to indicate their ethnicity, which, according to her, shows the lack of seriousness of the enumerators to ask this question.

also EVENING NEWS 19 dhj 2024 Kosovo has 1 million 602 thousand 515 inhabitants

"It is a very important element. It was an open-ended question, and it had the option to answer or not. This is the religious structure and the ethnic structure. In dealing with this question, 30 percent of the population was not asked about the religious and ethnic structure, but was only written as Muslim or about their ethnic affiliation, and this showed the lack of seriousness towards this question. I don't know what the background was, I can't say, but it is to the detriment of the communities", said Dushi.

Acting head of the Statistics Agency, Avni Kastrati, emphasized that the registration process for determining ethnic affiliation went without problems. According to him, the process has been transparent, ensuring that every individual declares his ethnicity without hindrance. 

"Each community had a registrar from its own community, which was not the case in some countries, neither in the European Union, nor in the Balkans. Rome has gone to Roma, Egyptians to Egyptians, Serbs to Serbs, which I am repeating, not all countries have had. Now, I don't believe that there can be such cases, because even among us Albanians, for example, there were cases when he was not asked at all, but he filled in the ethnicity and religion by himself, without need. But we also monitored them because we had preliminary indicators for each person from the 2011 census, we saw that you declared yourself Albanian. If there was another group, the system itself showed us that something was not right and we intervened in time", said the head of KAS, Avni Kastrati.

Full registration, in May

Based on the results before the population census, Kosovo has 1 million 602 thousand 515 inhabitants, or nearly 150 thousand less than in the 2011 census and approximately as in the 1981 census.

But the acting head of KAS says that other population census reports are expected to be published in January.

"Another 25 reports will be published in 2025. It will be a report on living conditions, i.e. if they have water supply, if they have kitchens, if they have spaces, what is the density, that is, one person per square meter in Kosovo. What are the buildings like, what year were they built; for buildings will be a separate report. It could be Prishtina that has the newest houses, a municipality could have very old ones, or how the houses are built, what material they are made of, whether they have insulation or not. So there will be separate reports. There will even be thematic reports for the population, there will be many for demography. Gender situation, level of education, employment, living conditions, because they are necessary to make good policies or to offer and serve citizens, because the whole world is based on statistics. There will be 25 reports, but there will be more indicators released in the online system", said Kastrati.

The object of the last census was the population, houses, households. According to the results of KAS, housing has increased by 41 percent compared to 2011, residential buildings have increased by over 21 percent. Over 93 percent of apartments and houses are owner-occupied, very few are rented and other forms. While family economies have increased by 23.4 percent.

According to the results, the average age has increased from 29.97 years in 2011 to 34.84 years in 2024.

In the 2024 population census, for the first time, an assessment of the damage caused by the last war in Kosovo, during the years 1998-99, was made. According to KAS, the material damages of the war have been estimated at over 5 billion euros. Based on the published data, during the war 11 thousand 417 people were killed, 1 thousand 47 people disappeared, 6 thousand 682 people were injured and 3 thousand 312 people were imprisoned.

The population census was also carried out in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, in that of North Mitrovica, Zubin Potok, Leposaviq and Zveçan. But not even this time did many of the residents in these municipalities inhabited by Serbian majority in the north of Kosovo participate.

KAS has estimated that about 15 inhabitants live in these municipalities, but only 6.708 participated in the census held this year.

The population census in Kosovo was conducted for the last time in 2011, where 1 million 739 thousand 825 inhabitants were registered. The latest figures are close to those of 1981 when nearly 1.5 million inhabitants were registered in Kosovo, and nearly 350 thousand less than in 1991 in the census organized by Serbia and boycotted by the Albanians. Experts have said that with the increasing trend of the 70s and 80s, Kosovo should now have at least twice as many.  

"According to the Demographic Entity of Belgrade, Kosovo should have 2021 million inhabitants in 3.5," economist Haki Shatri told the media a few months ago. 

In addition to social factors, large migration has influenced the reduction of official figures. Nearly a third of the population is believed to live abroad.