Albania has a population of 2.8 million people, according to data published at the start of 2021. Since the fall of communism in 1991 nearly 40% of Albania’s population has left the country.

Most Albanians who left in the 1990s and 2000s headed for Greece, Italy, Germany, the Nordic countries, the UK and the US. However, since 2020 Albania has experienced a new wave of migration. What makes this more challenging to explain is that there is no reliable data on the number of citizens who have moved away.

One significant reason is the Covid-19 pandemic, which had a massive effect on people’s welfare, employment and savings. The government offered very little support for people who were struggling, and the World Bank estimated that during the pandemic, about 22% of Albania’s population were below the poverty line. Local media suggest it will soon be more than 30% as the World Bank predicts rising costs and inflation, particularly with respect to food which represents the largest form of expenditure for most Albanians.

Cities, towns and villages are experiencing a constant exodus, and there are now ‘ghost towns‘ across the country. Kukësi in the north of Albania has seen more than 53% of its citizens leave. The cities of Shkodra, Fieri, Durrësi and Vlorë have each lost more than 15% of their population in the past 10 years. Several villages have seen massive numbers leave, from Narta in the south of the country to Zogaj in the north.

Many of these places used to be bustling industrial towns with economies based on fishing or mining. But following the collapse of Communism, a lack of government investment to invest in alternative industries has left many people without jobs and pushed the younger generation to emigrate.

The most common method of migration is for men to leave first. Later, when they have extra money and can provide housing, they bring their partners and children out to join them.