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 last census of April 2024 by the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, there were 1,588,566 inhabitants, of whom 795,552 were men (50.08%) and 790,014 were women (49.92%). The same year, US CIA World Factbook estimate put the country's population at 1,977,093. According to the first census conducted after the 2008 declaration of independence in 2011, the permanent population of Kosovo was 1,739,825.
Kosovo is a predominately ethnically and linguistically homogeneous country. The 2024 census shows that ethnic Albanians make the overwhelming majority of Kosovo, with 91.8% of the population, while minorities include Serbs (2.3%), Bosniaks (1.7%), Turks (1.2%), Ashkali (1%) and other ethnicities all less than 1%.
The official languages of Kosovo are Albanian and Serbian. Albanian is the native language for 93.67% of the population, while minority languages are also officially recognized in certain municipalities, depending on their ethnic makeup. The main religions of Kosovo are Islam (93.49%), Eastern Orthodox (2.31%) and Roman Catholic (1.75%). The average urbanization of Kosovo is at 50.18%, with a growing trend.
Kosovo has the youngest population in Europe. The average age is 34.8 and median age is 32, as of 2024. In 2008, half of its population was under the age of 25 (United Nations Development Programme data) and more than 65% of the population was younger than 30 (government data).Kosovo's Birth Rate Falling but Still High. BalkanInsight. 10 July 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2018. According to UNICEF, approximately 26% of Kosovo’s population is aged 0–18. This categorization is consistent with the definition provided in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which considers every person below the age of 18 to be a child.
History
2011 census The 2011 census recorded Kosovo (excluding North Kosovo) as having 1,739,825 inhabitants. The European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) has called "for caution when referring to the 2011 census", due to the boycott by Serb-majority municipalities in North Kosovo and the widespread boycott by Serbs and Roma in southern Kosovo. The recorded total population was below most previous estimates. The census received considerable technical assistance from international agencies and appears to have been endorsed by Eurostat; it was, however, the first full census since 1981, and not one of an uninterrupted series. The results show that there were no people temporarily resident in hotels or refugee camps at the time of the census; that out of 312,711 conventional dwellings, 99,808 (over 30%) were unoccupied; and that three municipalities designated under the Ahtisaari Plan to have Serb majorities – Klokot, Novo Brdo, and Štrpce – in fact had ethnic Albanian majorities (although their municipal assemblies have Serb majorities).
Vital statistics Source: Kosovo Agency of Statistics
Population estimates in the table below may be unreliable during the 1990s period. Besides, vital statistics do not fully include data from Serb-majority territories. Since 2011, in accordance with European statistical norms, live births and deaths record figures in Kosovo only (excluding foreign countries).
YearAverage populationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Crude migration rate (per 1000)Total fertility rateFemale fertile population (15–49 years)1950764,00035,22212,99122,23146.117.029.17.70164,0961951780,00029,29914,83314,46637.619.018.5 2.46.17169,8771952793,00035,61913,86721,75244.917.527.4 -10.77.23175,6601953813,00034,59516,72617,86942.620.622.0 3.26.62181,4451954832,00038,59513,20125,39446.415.930.5 -7.17.16185,7181955842,00036,73615,29221,44443.618.225.5 -13.56.62189,9921956859,00037,81913,69224,12744.015.928.1 -7.96.56194,2651957873,00034,15915,30018,85939.117.521.6 -5.35.84192,5961958890,00039,28511,59827,68744.113.031.1 -11.66.62195,3411959921,00037,36412,87824,48640.614.026.6 8.26.14199,3591960944,00041,63113,36528,26644.114.229.9 -4.96.64203,9541961967,35340,56111,75928,80241.912.229.8 -5.16.26208,5501962994,67641,33615,02426,31241.615.126.5 1.76.23212,14919631,022,21841,52512,42329,10240.612.228.5 -0.86.13217,55619641,051,49842,55712,73129,82640.512.128.4 0.26.14224,32619651,082,17043,56911,76731,80240.310.929.4 -0.25.97233,58419661,118,00342,42910,26632,16338.09.228.8 4.35.66240,12519671,150,62244,00111,30832,69338.29.828.4 0.85.71248,99219681,182,95244,62710,78133,84637.79.128.6 -0.55.64257,05619691,189,14046,48010,89235,58839.19.229.9 -24.75.69267,27119701,219,99644,49610,82933,66736.58.927.6 -1.75.40268,96019711,253,97547,06010,31236,74837.58.229.3 -1.45.74270,05019721,290,96547,94310,27037,67337.18.029.2 0.35.57283,88519731,327,85347,71410,35837,35635.97.828.1 0.55.35293,34019741,365,87949,84710,07539,77236.57.429.1 -0.55.40303,39619751,404,97749,31010,01839,29235.17.128.0 0.65.19313,61119761,446,00151,35510,14941,20635.57.028.5 0.75.24324,29719771,486,81649,8499,81140,03833.56.626.9 1.34.92334,58119781,525,96049,0279,77639,25132.16.425.7 0.64.66344,97019791,565,99548,1259,57538,55030.76.124.6 1.64.51349,52019801,552,77953,1478,90944,23834.25.728.5 -38.94.82354,06819811,594,45148,1119,67738,43430.26.124.1 2.74.55351,39619821,634,89352,86510,47942,38632.36.425.9 -0.54.71361,23219831,676,32549,64511,04038,60529.66.623.0 2.34.29372,61519841,716,88455,24310,57344,67032.26.226.0 -1.84.58391,15519851,760,13253,92511,82642,09930.66.723.9 1.34.30403,64019861,803,57954,51910,44644,07330.25.824.4 0.34.18415,40719871,848,11156,22110,30745,91430.45.624.8 -0.14.12429,43919881,894,13156,28310,25746,02629.75.424.3 0.63.96441,86719891,938,79453,65610,18143,47527.75.322.4 1.23.63454,26019901,987,05655,1758,21446,96127.84.123.6 1.33.59472,14519911,967,67552,2638,52643,73726.64.322.2 -32.03.52454,21419922,007,97844,4188,00436,41422.14.018.1 2.42.83478,10619932,043,74044,1327,80436,32821.63.817.8 02.71492,41219942,079,23443,4507,66735,78320.93.717.2 0.22.57506,40819952,115,02044,7768,67136,10521.24.117.1 0.12.55521,04919962,152,54546,0418,39237,64921.43.917.5 0.22.56535,87419972,188,08342,9208,62434,29619.63.915.7 0.82.33549,82619982,127,79541,7528,12333,62919.63.815.8 43.42.34543,79919992,067,50740,0207,56932,45119.43.715.7 -44.02.28537,77320002,007,21938,6877,11531,57219.33.515.7 -44.92.31531,74720011,946,93237,4126,67230,74019.23.415.8 -45.82.26525,71920021,886,64436,1365,65430,48219.23.016.2 -47.22.22519,69220031,826,35631,9946,41725,57717.53.514.0 -46.02.00513,66420041,766,06835,0636,39928,66419.93.616.2 -49.22.21507,63920051,743,78037,2187,20730,01121.34.117.2 -29.82.38501,61320061,719,53634,1877,47926,70819.94.315.5 -29.42.24495,58620071,733,40433,1126,68126,43119.13.915.2 -7.12.21489,55920081,747,38334,3996,85227,54719.73.915.8 -7.72.32483,53120091,761,47434,2407,03027,21019.44.015.4 -7.32.36477,50720101,775,68033,7517,23426,51719.04.114.9 -6.82.38471,47920111,786,22927,6267,11120,51515.54.011.5 -5.61.99465,45220121,806,44127,7437,31720,42615.44.111.3 0.42.02459,66220131,812,60029,3277,13522,19216.23.912.2 -6.12.17453,87220141,793,40125,9297,63418,29514.54.310.2 13.01.95448,08220151,744,78524,5948,20216,39214.14.79.4 -22.71.88442,29120161,715,45923,4168,49514,92113.65.08.7 -14.41.82436,50120171,720,72023,4028,72114,68113.65.18.5 -0.61.86430,71120181,716,10922,7618,99813,76313.35.28.0 -4.31.84424,92120191,693,98121,7989,43012,36812.95.67.3 -11.51.79419,13120201,684,35521,90712,9878,92013.07.75.3 -4.31.85413,34120211,665,24622,83013,0199,81113.77.85.9 -7.81.96407,55020221,624,337 22,632 9,84512,787 13.9 6.17.9 -20.9 1.98 401,76020231,603,115 21,654 9,62212,032 13.5 6.07.5 1.93 395,97020241,585,56621,487 10,13711,350 13.5 6.4 7.1 1.95 390,1802025 22,045 10,35111,694
Current vital statistics + Period Live births Deaths Natural increase January—July 2025 12,595 5,700 +6,895 January—July 2026 12,954 5,645 +7,309 Difference +359 (+2.85%) -55 (-0.96%) +414 Source:
Marriages and divorces
Average populationMarriagesDivorcesCrude marriage rate (per 1000)Crude divorce rate (per 1000)Divorces per 1000 marriages1950764,0008,68648111.40.655.41951780,0007,3004759.40.665.11952793,0007,0524068.90.557.61953813,0007,2083828.90.553.01954832,0007,3903528.90.447.61955842,0006,8154458.10.565.31956859,0005,7234266.70.574.41957873,0005,8604036.70.568.81958890,0006,9243747.80.454.01959921,0006,7944987.40.573.31960944,0006,8224177.20.461.11961967,3537,4264797.70.564.51962994,6767,4814517.50.560.319631,022,2187,1833467.00.348.219641,051,4988,3403887.90.446.519651,082,1708,2263477.60.342.219661,118,0038,2465147.40.562.319671,150,6227,5693146.60.341.519681,182,9528,7192447.40.228.019691,189,14010,0832268.50.222.419701,219,99611,2802589.20.222.919711,253,97511,0062388.80.221.619721,290,96510,5712728.20.225.719731,327,85311,1391988.40.117.819741,365,8799,8853377.20.234.119751,404,9779,9282617.10.226.319761,446,00110,2682487.10.224.219771,486,81610,4704727.00.345.119781,525,96011,5524607.60.339.819791,565,99511,5683557.40.230.719801,552,77912,6663338.20.226.319811,594,45111,9362807.50.223.519821,634,89312,3682897.60.223.419831,676,32512,4062567.40.220.619841,716,88412,5602377.30.118.919851,760,13212,4833327.10.226.619861,803,57911,9213646.60.230.519871,848,11113,6442607.40.119.119881,894,13114,6133897.70.226.619891,938,79414,3433207.40.222.319901,987,05612,7425096.40.339.919911,967,67512,5593546.40.228.219922,007,97813,3672666.70.119.919932,043,74013,3722486.50.118.519942,079,23411,9592995.80.125.019952,115,02012,9793526.10.227.119962,152,54512,2445595.70.345.719972,188,08311,8663965.40.233.419982,127,79513,1495246.20.239.919992,067,50714,4326527.00.345.220002,007,21915,7147807.80.449.620011,946,93216,9979098.70.553.520021,886,64418,2801,0379.70.556.720031,826,35617,0341,1659.30.668.420041,766,06816,9891,2939.60.776.120051,743,78015,7321,4459.00.891.920061,719,53615,8251,4809.20.993.520071,733,40416,8241,5589.70.992.620081,747,38317,9501,02610.30.657.220091,761,47420,2091,55511.50.976.920101,775,68018,2891,45310.30.879.420111,786,22916,6191,4699.30.888.420121,807,12617,1691,3289.50.777.320131,818,11914,6641,0408.10.670.920141,812,78816,2391,2439.00.776.520151,788,27416,2741,2689.10.777.920161,777,56816,0511,1109.00.669.220171,791,01917,1121,0729.60.662.62018 1,797,08616,8719999.40.659.220191,788,891
Administrative divisions
Kosovo is administratively subdivided into seven districts, and 38 municipalities. Based on the current estimated population, Kosovo ranks as the 150th most populous country in the world.