
Demographic data continue to confirm the shrinking of the population for the first quarter of 2024. The number of births during this period has been recorded in decline, but the most negative news is the return of the negative natural increase. The number of births for the first quarter of 2024 is 5,056, marking a decrease of 6.8%, compared to the first quarter of 2023, while the number of deaths is 5,537, marking a decrease of 5.2%. The natural addition of the population, in the first quarter of 2024, registers 481 more deaths than births.
In the first quarter of 2024, four regions of the country register a positive natural increase of the population, while in the other eight regions, the natural increase of the population is negative. In the first quarter of 2024, the county with the highest natural increase is Tirana, with 475 more births than deaths, while the county with the lowest natural increase is Korça, with 217 more deaths than births.
If we talk about births, in the first quarter of 2024, all regions of the country recorded a decrease in the number of births, compared to the first quarter of 2023. The region with the highest number of births is Tirana with 1,929 births, while the region with the most the lowest is Gjirokastra with 74 births. The smallest decrease in the percentage of births, during the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023, is the district of Elbasan with 2.0%, while the largest decrease is the district of Vlora with 21.1%.
On the other hand, during the first three months of the year, only one region of the country recorded an increase in the number of deaths, in one region there was no change, while ten other regions recorded a decrease, compared to the first quarter of 2023. The region with the highest number of deaths is Tirana with 1,454 deaths, while the district with the lowest number is Kukësi with 139 deaths. The largest decrease in the percentage of deaths, during the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023, is the district of Gjirokastra with 21.4%, while the smallest decrease is the district of Tirana with 2.6%.