Demographics of Kosovo
Population pyramid of Kosovo in 2022
Population	1,761,864 (2022) [1]
Growth rate	0.62%% (2023 est.) [2]
Birth rate	14.6 per 1,000 pop. [3]
Death rate	7.7 per 1,000 pop.
Life expectancy	76.7 years [4]
• male	74.1 years
• female	79.4 years
Fertility rate	1.88 children born/woman (2023) [5]
Infant mortality rate	24.9 per 1,000 births [6]
Net migration rate	-3.72 per 1,000 pop.
Age structure
0–14 years	27.2%
15–64 years	66.1%
65 and over	6.7%
Sex ratio
Total	1.08 male(s)/female
Nationality
Nationality	noun: Kosovar/Kosovan(s) adjective: Kosovar
Major ethnic	Albanians (95%) (2011 census)
Minor ethnic	Bosniaks (2%), Serbs (1.5%) [note 1] and others (4%) (2011 census)
Language
Official	Albanian
Spoken	Albanian (95%) languages of the minorities (5%)

The Kosovo Agency of Statistics monitors various demographic features of the population of Kosovo, such as population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. Censuses, normally conducted at ten-year intervals, record the demographic characteristics of the population. According to the first census conducted after the 2008 declaration of independence in 2011, the permanent population of Kosovo had reached 1,810,366. ^[13]

A 2011 demographic census shows that Albanians form the majority in Kosovo, with over 93% of the total population; significant minorities include Bosniaks (1.6%), Serbs (1.5%) and others. However, most Serbs boycotted the census and it therefore shows an inaccurate number of Serbs in Kosovo. After Albanians, Serbs form the largest ethnic community in Kosovo (6–7%). ^{[7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]} A 2023 CIA estimate put Kosovo's population at 1,964,327. ^[12]

Kosovo has the youngest population in Europe. As of 2008, half of its roughly 2-million-strong population is under the age of 25, according to a recent report of the UN Development Programme, UNDP. According to the government data, it is estimated that more than 65 percent of the population are younger than 30. ^[14]

History

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Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.

2011 census

The final results of the 2011 census recorded Kosovo (excluding North Kosovo) as having 1,739,825 inhabitants. ^[15] The European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) has called "for caution when referring to the 2011 census", due to the boycott by Serb-majority municipalities in North Kosovo and the large boycott by Serbs and Roma in southern Kosovo. ^[16] The recorded total population was below most previous estimates. The census enjoyed considerable technical assistance from international agencies and appears to have been endorsed by Eurostat; it was, however, the first full census since 1981, and not one of an uninterrupted series. The results show that there were no people temporarily resident in hotels or refugee camps at the time of the census; ^[17] that out of 312,711 conventional dwellings, 99,808 (over 30%) were unoccupied; ^[17] and that three municipalities designed^{[ clarification needed]} under the Ahtisaari Plan to have Serb majorities – Klokot, Novo Brdo, and Štrpce – in fact had ethnic Albanian majorities (although their municipal assemblies have Serb majorities). ^[17]

• 
  Kosovo ethnic map 2011 by settlement.
• 
  Distribution of Albanians in Kosovo 2011 by settlements.
• 
  Distribution of Serbs in Kosovo by settlements 2011.
• 
  Distribution of Bosniaks in Kosovo by settlements.
• 
  Distribution of Turks in Kosovo by settlements.
• 
  Distribution of Gorani in Kosovo by settlements.
• 
  Distribution of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians in Kosovo by settlements.

Vital statistics

Source: Kosovo Agency of Statistics ^{[18] [19] [20]}

Population estimates in the table below may be unreliable during the 1990s period. Besides, vital statistics do not fully include data from Serb-majority territories. Since 2011, in accordance with European statistical norms, live births and deaths record figures in Kosovo only (excluding foreign countries).

Current vital statistics

^{[29] [30] [31] [32]}

Period	Live births	Deaths	Natural increase
January - December 2022	22,312	9,137	+13,175
January - December 2023	21,429	9,006	+12,423
Difference	-883 (-3.96%)	-144 (-1.43%)	-752

Marriages and divorces

Administrative divisions

Kosovo is administratively subdivided into seven districts, and 38 municipalities. With the current estimation on population, Kosovo ranks as the 150th largest country in the world based on how populous it is. ^[33]

Rank	Name			Population (2011) [note 2]	Area (km2)	Density (km2)	Settlements
	English (most common)	Albanian	Serbian
Pristina District				477,312	2,470	193.2	298
1	Pristina	Prishtinë	Priština	198,897	572	347.7	41
7	Podujevo	Podujevë/Besianë	Podujevo	88,499	663	133.5	76
11	Drenas	Drenas	Glogovac	58,531	290	201.8	37
12	Lipjan	Lipjan	Lipljan	57,605	422	136.5	70
21	Kosovo Polje	Fushë Kosovë	Kosovo Polje	34,827	83	419.6	15
26	Obiliq	Obiliq/Kastriot	Obilić	21,549	105	205.2	19
30	Gračanica	Graçanicë	Gračanica	10,675	131	81.5	16
33	Novo Brdo	Novobërdë/Artanë	Novo Brdo	6,729	204	33	24
Prizren District				331,670	1,397	237.4	195
2	Prizren	Prizren	Prizren	177,781	626	284	74
10	Suva Reka	Suharekë/Therandë	Suva Reka	59,722	306	178.5	42
14	Malisheva	Malishevë	Mališevo	54,613	361	165.4	43
22	Dragash	Dragash/Sharr	Dragaš	33,997	435	78.2	35
35	Mamusha	Mamushë	Mamuša	5,507	11	500.6	–
Ferizaj District				185,806	1,030	180.4	126
3	Ferizaj	Ferizaj	Uroševac	108,690	345	315	45
23	Kaçanik	Kaçanik	Kačanik	33,454	221	151.4	31
25	Shtime	Shtime	Štimlje	27,324	134	203.9	23
31	Hani i Elezit	Hani i Elezit	Đeneral Janković/Elez Han	9,389	83	113.1	11
32	Štrpce	Shtërpcë	Štrpce	6,949	247	28.1	16
Peja District				174,235	1,365	127.6	118
4	Peja	Pejë	Peć	96,450	603	160	14
17	Istog	Istog	Istok	39,289	454	86.5	50
19	Klina	Klinë	Klina	38,496	308	125	54
Gjakova District				194,672	1,129	172.4	170
5	Gjakova	Gjakovë	Đakovica	94,557	587	161.1	91
13	Rahovec	Rahovec	Orahovac	55,053	276	199.5	32
18	Deçan	Deçan	Dečani	38,984	180	216.6	37
34	Junik	Junik	Junik	6,078	86	70.7	10
Mitrovica District				272,247	2,077	131.1	267
8	Mitrovica	Mitrovicë	Mitrovica	71,909	350	205.5	45
9	Vushtrri	Vushtrri	Vučitrn	69,870	344	203.1	67
15	Skenderaj	Skënderaj	Srbica	50,858	378	134.5	49
24	North Mitrovica	Mitrovicë Veriore	Severna Mitrovica	29,460	11	2,678.2	–
27	Leposavić	Leposaviq/Albanik	Leposavić	18,600	539	34.5	42
28	Zvečan	Zveçan	Zvečan	16,650	122	136.5	35
29	Zubin Potok	Zubin Potok	Zubin Potok	14,900	333	44.7	29
Gjilan District				180,783	1,206	149.9	287
6	Gjilan	Gjilan	Gnjilane	90,015	385	233.8	54
16	Viti	Viti	Vitina	46,959	278	168.9	39
20	Kamenica	Kamenicë/Dardanë	Kamenica	35,600	423	84.2	58
36	Ranilug	Ranillug	Ranilug	3,866	78	49.6	18
37	Klokot	Kllokot	Klokot	2,556	24	106.5	4
38	Parteš	Partesh	Parteš	1,787	18	99.3	3
Kosovo				1,816,675	10,908	170	1,339

Ethnic groups

The official results of the censuses in Kosovo after World War II are tabulated below. The figures for Albanians in the 1991 census were estimates only, since that census was boycotted by most Albanians. Similarly, the figures for Serbs in the 2011 census omit those in North Mitrovica, Leposavić, Zubin Potok and Zvečan ( North Kosovo), while the number of Serbs and Romani in the rest of Kosovo is also deemed unreliable, due to the partial boycott. ^[16]

Ethnic groups by municipality

The results of the 2011 census of ethnic groups in municipalities are tabulated below. ^[38]

The 2000 Living Standard Measurement Survey by Statistical Office of Kosovo found an ethnic composition of the population as follows:

• 92% Albanians
• 8% others

A more comprehensive (October 2002) estimate (for the 1.9 million inhabitants) for these years:

• 92% Albanians
• 4% Serbs
• 4% Bosniaks, Turks, Romani and others

During the Kosovo War in 1999, around 700,000 ethnic Albanians, ^[39] over 100,000 ethnic Serbs and more than 40,000 Bosniaks were forced out of Kosovo to neighbouring Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Serbia. After the United Nations took over administration of Kosovo following the war, the vast majority of the Albanian refugees returned.^{[ citation needed]} The largest diaspora communities of Kosovo Albanians are in Switzerland and Austria accounting for some 200,000 individuals each, or for 20% of the population resident in Kosovo.

Many non-Albanians – chiefly Serbs and Romani – fled or were expelled, mostly to the rest of Serbia at the end of the war, with further refugee outflows occurring as the result of sporadic ethnic violence. As of 2002, the number of registered refugees was around 250,000. ^{[40] [41] [42]} The non-Albanian population in Kosovo is now about half of its pre-war total^{[ citation needed]}. The largest concentration of Serbs in the country is in the north, but many remain in Kosovo Serb enclaves surrounded by Albanian-populated areas.

Languages

As defined by the Constitution of Kosovo, Albanian and Serbian are official languages in Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, almost 95% of the citizens speak Albanian as their native language, followed by South Slavic languages and Turkish. Due to North Kosovo's boycott of the census, Bosnian came in as the second-largest language after Albanian. However, Serbian is in reality the second-most spoken language in Kosovo.

Health

Harvard Medical School and NATO published a study on the impact of the conflict on Kosovo health system in 2014. ^[44] The data in the table below are from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics.

Migration

According to a 2015 report by Geoba.se, Kosovo's current net migration rate is at −3.72, ranking Kosovo 197th, ^[45] due to the ongoing political and economic crisis. The same source gives −0.71 for the 2023 estimate.

Religion

The country has no official religion. The constitution establishes Kosovo as a secular state that is neutral in matters of religious beliefs and where everyone is equal before the law and freedom to belief, conscience and religion is guaranteed. ^{[46] [47]}

The 2011 Kosovo population census was largely boycotted by the Kosovo Serbs (who predominantly identify as Serbian Orthodox Christians), especially in North Kosovo, ^[48] leaving the Serb population underrepresented. ^[49] The results of the 2011 census gave the following religious affiliations for the population included in the census: ^[50]

Almost all Muslims in Kosovo are Sunni Muslim. ^[51]

The Serb population is largely Serbian Orthodox. The Catholic Albanian communities are mostly concentrated in Gjakova, Prizren, Klina and a few villages near Peć and Vitina (see laramans). Slavic-speaking Catholics usually call themselves Janjevci or Kosovan Croats. Slavic-speaking Muslims in the south of Kosovo are known as the Gorani people.

Internally displaced persons

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (May 2015)

According to the CIA, as of 2013 ^[update], there were 17,300 internally displaced persons, most of whom are Serbs displaced during the Kosovo War. ^{[52][ citation needed]}

See also

• Demographics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
• Yugoslavia § Demographics
• Demographics of Albania
• Demographics of Montenegro
• Demographics of North Macedonia
• Demographics of Serbia
• Albanians in Kosovo
• Bosniaks in Kosovo
• Montenegrins in Kosovo
• Serbs in Kosovo
• Turks in Kosovo
• Roma in Kosovo
• Gorani (ethnic group)
• Janjevci
• Ashkali
• History of the Jews in Kosovo

Notes and references

Notes

External links

• Statistical Office of Kosovo
• Filling the Vacuum: Ensuring Protection and Legal Remedies for Minorities in Kosovo by Minority Rights Group International (May 2009)
• Groups working with all demographics in Kosovo