Albania, then known as Rumelia, was a province of the Ottoman Empire from the fifteenth century until it declared it's independence in 1912. Following a series of unsuccessful uprisings and brief occupations from nearby Serbia and Greece, Albania finally claimed its independence on November 28, 1912; however the Conference of London in 1913 then set the borders of the former-Ottoman states in Southern Europe, which left many ethnic Albanians living in other neighboring states, particularly Serbia (and what is now Kosovo). The newly-formed Albanian state collapsed in the wake of the First World War, and was controlled in parts by Greece, Italy and Serbia. The Paris Conference then established an independent Albanian state, which led to a period of political and economic turmoil that lasted until Italy's annexation of the region in 1939, during the Second World War. It is estimated that just under 3 percent of Albania's population perished as a direct result of the war, as Albania became the main theater for the Axis Powers' war against Greece. Italy then surrendered control of the area to Germany in 1943, and after the war ended in 1945, Albania became a Yugoslav satellite state and remained behind the Iron Curtain until it's collapse in the 1990s.
Steady growth during the communist era
From the war's end onwards, Albania's population enjoyed steady growth and almost tripled by 1990. Throughout this time, Albania underwent a series of political allegiances; first as a Yugoslav and then Soviet satellite states, but then became an important actor in the Sino-Soviet split, eventually siding with China in the 1960s. Gradually, Albania transitioned into a more isolationist and independent country in in the 1970s, and slowly adopted some more democratic practices. The total population surpassed two million people in the late 1960s, and three million in the late 1980s, but then a dramatic change in population growth occurred in the 1990s, as communism in Europe came to an end.
Immediate decline following communism's end
Increased freedom of movement, improved access to contraception and major lifestyle changes caused the population to fall into decline. The population did increase in the late 90s, despite a civil war in the first half of 1997 (in which over 2 thousand people died) sparked by a failure of the financial system in Albania. The Albanian Army was also involved in the war in neighboring Kosovo between 1998 and 1999. The 2000s brought about further decline, and the population is just 2.9 million in 2020, a decline of approximately 400,000 people in thirty years. Albania has been a candidate for accession to the EU since 2014, and membership would bring further change to the country.
Population of Albania from 1800 to 2020
(in 1,000s)
Characteristic
Population in thousands
2020
2,877.8
2019
2,880.91
2018
2,882.74
2017
2,884.17
2016
2,886.43
2015
2,890.52
2014
2,896.31
2013
2,903.79
2012
2,914.09
2011
2,928.6
2010
2,948.03
2009
2,973.04
2008
3,002.68
2007
3,033.99
2006
3,063.02
2005
3,086.81
2004
3,104.89
2003
3,118.02
2002
3,126.18
2001
3,129.7
2000
3,129.25
1999
3,122.7
1998
3,110.7
1997
3,099.75
1996
3,098.7
1995
3,112.92
1994
3,146.52
1993
3,195.2
1992
3,245.89
1991
3,280.4
1990
3,286.07
1989
3,257.91
1988
3,200.97
1987
3,124.89
1986
3,044.2
1985
2,969.67
1984
2,904.14
1983
2,844.87
1982
2,790.28
1981
2,737.02
1980
2,682.7
1979
2,627.51
1978
2,572.85
1977
2,518.69
1976
2,464.98
1975
2,411.73
1974
2,358.85
1973
2,306.28
1972
2,254.06
1971
2,202.19
1970
2,150.7
1969
2,099.74
1968
2,049.21
1967
1,998.74
1966
1,947.84
1965
1,896.18
1964
1,843.65
1963
1,790.57
1962
1,737.68
1961
1,685.93
1960
1,636.09
1959
1,588.51
1958
1,543.26
1957
1,500.18
1956
1,459.12
1955
1,419.99
1954
1,382.9
1953
1,348.11
1952
1,316.09
1951
1,287.5
1950
1,263.16
1949
1,250
1948
1,230
1947
1,210
1946
1,200
1945
1,180
1944
1,160
1943
1,160
1942
1,150
1941
1,140
1940
1,120
1939
1,100
1938
1,080
1937
1,060
1936
1,050
1935
1,040
1934
1,040
1933
1,030
1932
1,030
1931
1,020
1930
1,020
1929
1,010
1928
1,010
1927
1,000
1926
995
1925
989
1924
984
1923
979
1922
974
1921
969
1920
964
1919
959
1918
954
1917
949
1916
943
1915
938
1914
932
1913
926
1912
918
1911
910
1910
901
1909
893
1908
884
1907
876
1906
868
1905
860
1904
852
1903
844
1902
836
1901
828
1900
820
1899
812
1898
804
1897
796
1896
788
1895
780
1894
772
1893
764
1892
757
1891
749
1890
742
1889
734
1888
727
1887
720
1886
713
1885
706
1884
699
1883
692
1882
686
1881
679
1880
673
1879
666
1878
660
1877
653
1876
647
1875
641
1874
634
1873
628
1872
622
1871
616
1870
610
1869
604
1868
598
1867
592
1866
586
1865
581
1864
575
1863
569
1862
564
1861
558
1860
553
1859
547
1858
542
1857
537
1856
533
1855
528
1854
523
1853
519
1852
515
1851
511
1850
507
1849
503
1848
500
1847
497
1846
494
1845
491
1844
488
1843
485
1842
483
1841
480
1840
478
1839
476
1838
474
1837
472
1836
470
1835
468
1834
466
1833
463
1832
461
1831
459
1830
457
1829
455
1828
453
1827
451
1826
449
1825
448
1824
446
1823
444
1822
442
1821
440
1820
439
1819
437
1818
435
1817
434
1816
432
1815
431
1814
429
1813
428
1812
426
1811
425
1810
424
1809
422
1808
421
1807
420
1806
418
1805
417
1804
416
1803
414
1802
413
1801
412
1800
410
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Gapminder, & UN DESA. (August 31, 2019). Population of Albania from 1800 to 2020 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 01, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1076307/population-albania-since-1800/
Gapminder, und UN DESA. "Population of Albania from 1800 to 2020 (in 1,000s)." Chart. August 31, 2019. Statista. Accessed September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1076307/population-albania-since-1800/
Gapminder, UN DESA. (2019). Population of Albania from 1800 to 2020 (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1076307/population-albania-since-1800/
Gapminder, and UN DESA. "Population of Albania from 1800 to 2020 (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Aug 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1076307/population-albania-since-1800/
Gapminder & UN DESA, Population of Albania from 1800 to 2020 (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1076307/population-albania-since-1800/ (last visited September 01, 2024)
Population of Albania from 1800 to 2020 (in 1,000s) [Graph], Gapminder, & UN DESA, August 31, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1076307/population-albania-since-1800/