While Tirana continues to attract residents from other districts, births in the capital are declining rapidly, at a rate almost twice as high as the national drop.
INSTAT data show that births in Tirana County fell by 8% in the first nine months of 2026. Over the same period, the figure fell by 4.7% nationwide.
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Rising home prices and rents, along with the cost of living and the expenses of raising children, are making it harder to start and expand families in the capital. This is despite the greater employment and income opportunities Tirana offers.
There were 647 fewer births in Tirana than in the same months of 2025. According to INSTAT, this makes the capital the main driver of the national decline in births.
From January to September 2026, 16,016 babies were born in Albania, 789 fewer than in the comparable period. Tirana accounted for about 82% of the net national decline, while births across the other 11 districts combined fell by just 1.6%.
Tirana remains the country’s main center for business and employment, attracting investment and companies, as well as many young people moving from other districts. However, these economic opportunities come with a rising cost of living.
Housing is one of the biggest challenges facing young couples. Apartment prices have risen far faster than wages, so buying a home often requires a substantial loan or financial help from family. Rent is also a burden for couples who want to live independently.
An earlier calculation by “Monitor” estimated that the ratio of housing prices to disposable income per capita in Albania increased by 76.3% between 2015 and 2025. In other words, compared with people’s incomes, buying the same home has become considerably more difficult than it was ten years ago.
The indicator is national, but high housing prices place particular pressure on young families hoping to live in Tirana.
Families also have to cover childcare, private nursery and kindergarten fees, transport, and everyday services. Distances and travel times in Tirana have increased, making family life more expensive and complicated to organize, especially when both parents work.
These financial difficulties may lead couples to postpone having their first child or decide to have fewer children. For those paying a large mortgage, rent, and ordinary household expenses, planning to expand the family becomes more difficult.
Gjirokastra records the steepest decline in births, while Dibra and Kukës see increases
The largest percentage decline in the first nine months of 2026 was recorded in Gjirokastra, where births fell by 11.6%. The number there dropped to 191, from 216 in the same period last year.
Tirana ranked second, with an 8% decline, followed by Durrës, where births fell by 7.6%, from 1,729 to 1,598. Shkodra recorded a 3.2% drop, Fier 2.4%, Korça 1.5%, and Vlora 0.3%.
Meanwhile, births increased in five districts. Dibra recorded the largest rise, at 7.4%, from 499 to 536, followed by Kukës, up 5.6%, from 376 to 397. Smaller increases were recorded in Elbasan, at 1.6%, Berat, at 1.2%, and Lezha, at 1.1%.
In the other districts, especially areas that have faced emigration and the departure of young people for years, births are far lower than they were a decade ago. The small increases this year do not change the long-term trend.
It is concerning that births are falling rapidly in Tirana too, even though the capital has benefited from people moving in from other districts. People come to work and live there, but the high cost of living is making it harder for them to build a family life.
If this trend continues, the concentration of population and economic activity in the capital will not be enough to offset the decline in births. For young families, employment and wages are only part of the equation; what matters too is how much income remains after housing and basic living expenses are paid.
