Demographics of Kosovo
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.
| Demographics of Kosovo | |
|---|---|
Population pyramid of Kosovo in 2022 | |
| Population | 1,761,864 (2022) |
| Growth rate | 0.62%% (2023 est.) |
| Birth rate | 14.6 per 1,000 pop. |
| Death rate | 7.7 per 1,000 pop. |
| Life expectancy | 76.7 years |
| • male | 74.1 years |
| • female | 79.4 years |
| Fertility rate | 1.88 children born/woman (2023) |
| Infant mortality rate | 24.9 per 1,000 births |
| 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%) and others (4%) (2011 census) |
| Language | |
| Official | Albanian |
| Spoken | Albanian (95%) languages of the minorities (5%) |
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%). A 2023 CIA estimate put Kosovo's population at 1,964,327.
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.