We hesitate about the first child, but not the third. Young couples are postponing parenthood, while families with three children are still resisting.
Albania is experiencing a strong change in its birth pattern. The latest Eurostat data show that the number of first-time births in the country is decreasing, while the share of families with three children remains higher than the European average.
According to statistics, only 39.9% of babies born in Albania in 2024 were first children for their families, a level significantly lower than the European Union average of 46.6%. This places Albania among the countries where couples are entering parenthood for the first time less often.
Meanwhile, 37.6% of births in Albania were second children, while 17.1% were third children. This indicator stands out in comparison to Europe. In the EU, only 12.1% of births are third children, which means that Albanian families continue to have three children more often than European families.
Another indicator shows that 5.4% of babies born in Albania were fourth children or more, a level slightly lower than the EU average of 6.2%.
Experts link the decline in first births to young people's emigration, postponement of family formation and economic difficulties. In recent years, Albania has recorded a continuous decline in births, while the age of family formation has increased.
However, the data also shows a feature that continues to distinguish Albania from many European countries: families that decide to have children often choose not to limit themselves to just one or two. Compared to the European Union, the birth rate of third children remains significantly higher in Albania, still maintaining the traditional model of the larger family.
Compared to European countries, Albania ranks among the countries with the lowest percentage of first-born children. With 39.9%, it is on par with Latvia, while lower than countries like Italy, Germany, France or Spain, where the share of first-born children is higher. In Portugal, for example, 54.6% of births are first-born children, in Malta and Luxembourg 53.9%, while in Spain 50.7%.
But the picture changes when looking at the third child. Albania, with 17.1% of births as third children, stands significantly above the EU average of 12.1% and close to countries like Estonia or Latvia. Only a few countries in the table have a higher weight, such as Georgia with 20.2%.
In the case of fourth or more children, Albania is below the EU average. In our country, these births constitute 5.4% of the total, compared to 6.2% in the EU. The highest percentages in Europe are in Turkey with 11.5%, Slovakia with 9.9%, Finland with 9.4% and Romania with 9.2%.
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