"Assimilation has led to the creation of a Bulgarian minority in Albania", "the number of the Macedonians there has halved". With similar headlines, the media in North Macedonia reported the results of the population census in Albania and described them as surprising. They also write about a party that does not recognize the results, BNR reported.
More than 7,000 of Albania's citizens declared themselves Bulgarian in last year's census. Fewer than 2,300 people declared themselves Macedonian - far fewer than in the 2011 census, when there were 5,500.
The information caused a sharp reaction from the local party "Macedonian Alliance for European Integration". Its leader, Vasil Sterovski, was quoted by the media in the Republic of North Macedonia as accusing representatives of Bulgarian institutions of influencing people in the Prespa, Gora and Golo Bardo regions with the promise of Bulgarian passports. Overall, the census in Albania shows that the country has suffered a severe demographic blow.
In just 12 years - from 2011 to 2023, its population has decreased by more than 14 percent - from 2.8 million to 2.4 million. The Albanian Statistical Institute points to emigration as the main reason.