Average age, Albania shows highest ageing rate in Europe 2001-2011

Open Data Albania had researched on average age of Albania population during the last 20 years compared to that of the European Union member countries or candidate for EU membership. Data for Albania are from the National Institute of Statistics while data for the European countries are from Eurostat.  The average age is the total age of the population divided by population. Data for Albania are from population censuses. Data for the European continent are estimates from Eurostat derived by life event registers or population censuses.

Highlights. On 2011 Albania still had the youngest population in the European continent except of Turkey, Ireland and Iceland. Albania showed also the highest rate of ageing during the last decade, except for Lithuania. The most aged population lives in the prefecture of Gjirokastra, (south Albania) where the average age is 39.7 years while the youngest population lives in Kukes (north) where average age is still 30.2 years old.

^{Source: Eurostat
Processing and comments: ODA}

Average age compared with European countries. The average age of Albania in 2011 was 35.3 years, several years younger than the the average age of EU-27 countries, 41.2. On 2001, Albania?s average age was 30.6 years while that of the European countries was 38.3.  During the last decade, population in Albania aged by 4.7 years while in EU countries by 2.9 years.

Age in regional level. Albania is administratively divided in 12 prefectures. Average age for whole population in 2011 was 35.3 years but regions of Gjirokastra, Korca, Berati, Fieri and Vlora had populations older than the national average. Other regions such as Kukes, Diber and Elbasan had youger populations. Average age of Tirana was 34.5 years while in Durres was 34.6 years.

^{Source: Eurostat
Processing and comments: ODA}

Population ageing between 2001 and 2011 is result of fewer children born during this decade and high level of emigration among youngsters. Longevity also affects the average population age. The combination of low fertility and high emigration rates causes a faster ageing. The higher fertility rate in Diber and Kukes during this period kept the population younger despite the high flow of emigration.

^{Source: Eurostat
Processing and comments: ODA}

We do not have data on longevity on regional level so it is not possible to comment on this factor as cause of ageing. Population ageing is a concert for many countries around the world. Fertility rates below the substitution level (2.3 children per mother), creates the perspective that many countries may not have in the future the adequate workforce to afford an increasing number of elders. Because of very low fertility rates currently seen in Albania and a continuing wave of emigration among youngsters, in is expected that the population ageing will continue.