Mucaj: There are fewer children in Albania, but Albanians in the region maintain the tradition of “large families”

Head of the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tirana, Arjana Mucaj, stated that, unlike Albania, which is experiencing a steadily declining natural population growth, in the regional countries where Albanians live, there is a noticeable continuation of the "tradition of preserving large families."

“If we look beyond the territory of Albania and analyze the situation in neighboring regions where Albanians live, we see that Albanian society there continues with the mentality or tradition of what is called ‘preserving the large family.’ This also explains why in the countries of the region where there is an Albanian population, the number of newborns is increasing and therefore not declining,” Mucaj told Kosovo Online.

She believes that the worsening demographic situation in Albania is the result of a tendency among young people to focus more on professional careers instead of starting families and having children.

On the other hand, in the surrounding areas, Albanians place much greater value on tradition.

“This means that the number of children born in these regions is higher than in Albania. The numbers clearly show this. We have the case of North Macedonia, where the government is taking steps to provide more opportunities for young Macedonians to start families and have children, out of concern that the population ratio between ethnic groups may shift,” Mucaj emphasized.

She adds that, according to data from Albania's Institute of Statistics, mothers in the country now give birth to just one child on average, instead of two.

“This is influenced by many factors. The first is the delay among young people in getting married. Previously, there were more traditional marriages, whereas now cohabitation is more common, and couples in such arrangements often do not want children. This way, they feel freer to focus on their careers. So, they subordinate family formation, what we call the 'family nucleus', to their professional development,” Mucaj explains.

As a second key factor, she points to migration, which she identifies as the biggest problem for the entire Western Balkans.

“The departure of the population, especially young people, may positively influence birth rates in the countries they migrate to, but their departure from their home country will also lead to a drop in the number of births. Not only that, it also affects women's mentality. Girls today place much more importance on education and career than on having children,” the expert believes.

Commenting on Albania’s demographic outlook, Mucaj says that despite the decline in births, the ratio of births to deaths has not shown drastic fluctuations in recent years.
She attributes this to increasing life expectancy and rising living standards.

“Increasing life expectancy definitely affects the birth-to-death ratio, although I am not sure whether these are the exact figures from the Albanian Statistical Institute. Also, a key factor is the improved standard of living. Let’s not forget that in the past, old age was categorized as starting at 65. Today, that classification has changed, and we now have two levels: 65 to 80 years old, and 80 and above. This shows an increase in the population's life expectancy,” the expert explains.