Kosovo population pyramid 2026
1,666,992 people in 2026 (projected). Kosovo had Europe’s youngest population for decades; war and steady emigration have since shrunk it, while a late fall in fertility has pinched its base.
- 2026 population
- 1.7Mrank 154 of 237
- Median age
- 33.2 yearsoldest rank 122
- Fertility rate
- 1.52births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Transitional10.9% age 65+
Kosovo population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Kosovo age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 19.3% of the population, while 10.9% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 69.8% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Kosovo’s age structure as transitional; the guide to population pyramid types explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 43.3: about 43 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (27.6 children and 15.7 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Kosovo’s population pyramid
A late fertility decline
Kosovo kept high fertility longer than anywhere else in Europe. The total fertility rate was about 7 in 1950 and still about 3.7 in 1990, and through the late twentieth century Kosovo had the youngest population on the continent. The decline then continued: about 2.7 in 2000, 2.2 in 2010 and 1.5 in 2026, a level close to that of many Western European countries. The UN series refers to Kosovo under UN Security Council resolution 1244.
The pyramid shows the turn clearly. In 2000 the widest band was 10–14, born about 1986–90, and both younger bands were narrower. In 2026 the widest bands are 15–19 and 20–24, while the 0–4 band is only about two-thirds as large as 15–19. Even so, births still exceed deaths by almost two to one in 2026; deaths are not projected to overtake births until 2046.
War and emigration
What the pyramid’s youth would otherwise have produced has been offset by departures. The UN estimates the population peaked in 1997 at about 2.2 million; the 1998–99 war displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and by 2000 the estimate had fallen to about 1.8 million. Emigration to Germany, Switzerland and other Western European countries has a long history, rooted in labour migration from the former Yugoslavia, and it continued after the conflict: the UN estimates net outflows of about 530,000 between 1950 and 1999 and about 560,000 between 2000 and 2023.
The effect is visible in two places. In 2000 the 20–24 band was about 30% narrower than the 15–19 band, a step that is hard to explain by differences in births alone. In 2026, at ages 45–59, women outnumber men by a clear margin, about 85 men per 100 women at 50–54, consistent with men being more likely to have left. Boys also outnumber girls by more than usual, about 112 per 100 at ages 10–14, a pattern shared with neighbouring Albania and often linked to son preference.
Kosovo’s structure in 2026 is closest to those of Turkey, Argentina and Brazil. With natural increase now smaller than net emigration, the population is already falling; the population growth rate ranking places it among the countries with negative growth. Under the medium scenario it holds near 1.6 million until 2050, then declines to about 1.1 million by 2100.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Kosovo’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2046. People aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children under 15 by 2040.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Kosovo is projected to record 19,260 births (about 53 births a day) and 10,430 deaths, a natural increase of 8,830. Net migration adds −14,025 people, ranking #225 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 704,115 births, 245,028 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −563,965. Over that period migration moved the total more than the balance of births and deaths did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −128,477 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 80.6 years44.0 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 76.4 years43.0 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 17.4 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 8.3per 1,000 births · 209 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 9.3per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 29.7 yearssex ratio at birth 106.9
Women in Kosovo are projected to live 4.2 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 209 to 8.3 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #132 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 29.7 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Kosovo
The median age of 33.2 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.52 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 78.6 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,666,992 | #154 | Largest first |
| Median age | 33.2 years | #122 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.52 | #160 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -0.3% | #196 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 78.6 years | #74 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 10.9% | #110 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Kosovo
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15–19 | 141,326 | 8.5% | 71.8K / 69.6K |
| 2 | 20–24 | 138,893 | 8.3% | 70K / 68.9K |
| 3 | 25–29 | 129,782 | 7.8% | 65.9K / 63.9K |
| 4 | 10–14 | 126,599 | 7.6% | 66.8K / 59.8K |
| 5 | 35–39 | 122,738 | 7.4% | 62.8K / 60K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Kosovo has 820,018 males and 846,973 females. That is 96.8 males per 100 females, ranking #155 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 49.2% of the population and females for 50.8%. There are 26,955 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 76.6 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 106.9 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Kosovo has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 778,480 in 1950 to 1,666,992 in 2026, a change of 114%. Over the same span, median age moved from 18.6 to 33.2 years.
The under-15 share changed from 40.1% to 19.3%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 5.5% to 10.9%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Kosovo’s population is projected to remain broadly stable, reaching 1,643,619 in 2050. The median age changes from 33.2 to 43.9 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 11.0 percentage points to 21.9%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 14.3%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 2,197,284 in 1997. Historical population totals are estimates rather than exact head counts. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 778,480 | 18.6 | 6.95 | 43.5 | 34,712 | 18,848 | 0 | +2.0% |
| 1960 | 984,846 | 18.7 | 6.36 | 48.7 | 42,378 | 18,326 | +3,231 | +2.8% |
| 1970 | 1,249,555 | 17.7 | 5.62 | 54.0 | 48,730 | 18,635 | −11,776 | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 1,604,818 | 19.2 | 4.66 | 60.3 | 55,132 | 16,504 | +7,255 | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 1,973,790 | 20.0 | 3.67 | 66.5 | 57,568 | 14,363 | −15,797 | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 1,802,493 | 21.1 | 2.70 | 71.3 | 32,657 | 10,130 | −9,150 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 1,788,743 | 25.2 | 2.22 | 74.6 | 33,682 | 9,993 | −29,433 | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 1,751,417 | 29.7 | 1.57 | 74.2 | 21,603 | 14,980 | +2,815 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 1,700,031 | 31.4 | 1.55 | 78.0 | 20,514 | 9,981 | −28,754 | -1.1% |
| 2024* | 1,684,790 | 32.1 | 1.54 | 78.2 | 19,967 | 10,063 | −22,178 | -0.7% |
| 2026* | 1,666,992 | 33.2 | 1.52 | 78.6 | 19,260 | 10,430 | −14,025 | -0.3% |
| 2030* | 1,661,293 | 35.2 | 1.50 | 79.3 | 18,918 | 11,274 | −7,227 | +0.0% |
| 2040* | 1,673,994 | 39.2 | 1.50 | 81.0 | 17,387 | 13,617 | −3,447 | +0.0% |
| 2050* | 1,643,619 | 43.9 | 1.51 | 82.6 | 13,257 | 16,150 | −3,095 | -0.4% |
| 2060* | 1,566,395 | 48.4 | 1.52 | 84.1 | 11,977 | 18,291 | −2,592 | -0.6% |
| 2070* | 1,471,705 | 51.9 | 1.53 | 85.4 | 10,998 | 19,506 | −1,647 | -0.7% |
| 2080* | 1,355,929 | 53.2 | 1.54 | 86.6 | 8,970 | 20,153 | −1,371 | -0.9% |
| 2090* | 1,225,543 | 54.4 | 1.55 | 87.7 | 8,106 | 20,455 | −1,011 | -1.1% |
| 2100* | 1,094,726 | 55.4 | 1.56 | 88.7 | 7,455 | 19,632 | −546 | -1.2% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 49,007 | 45,619 | 94,626 | 5.7% |
| 5–9 | 52,517 | 47,722 | 100,239 | 6.0% |
| 10–14 | 66,790 | 59,809 | 126,599 | 7.6% |
| 15–19 | 71,769 | 69,557 | 141,326 | 8.5% |
| 20–24 | 70,008 | 68,885 | 138,893 | 8.3% |
| 25–29 | 65,930 | 63,852 | 129,782 | 7.8% |
| 30–34 | 61,825 | 59,875 | 121,700 | 7.3% |
| 35–39 | 62,788 | 59,950 | 122,738 | 7.4% |
| 40–44 | 57,017 | 56,855 | 113,872 | 6.8% |
| 45–49 | 51,877 | 57,783 | 109,660 | 6.6% |
| 50–54 | 49,185 | 57,719 | 106,904 | 6.4% |
| 55–59 | 43,810 | 51,826 | 95,636 | 5.7% |
| 60–64 | 38,331 | 44,157 | 82,488 | 4.9% |
| 65–69 | 30,906 | 35,791 | 66,697 | 4.0% |
| 70–74 | 22,188 | 27,692 | 49,880 | 3.0% |
| 75–79 | 13,746 | 19,614 | 33,360 | 2.0% |
| 80–84 | 8,098 | 12,473 | 20,571 | 1.2% |
| 85–89 | 3,361 | 5,717 | 9,078 | 0.5% |
| 90–94 | 778 | 1,789 | 2,567 | 0.2% |
| 95–99 | 84 | 279 | 363 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 2 | 11 | 13 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Kosovo’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Turkey97% overlap · median age 33.9
- Argentina96% overlap · median age 33.3
- Brazil96% overlap · median age 35.2
- Colombia96% overlap · median age 33.0
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines96% overlap · median age 34.7
- Sri Lanka95% overlap · median age 33.6
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Kosovo.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Kosovo Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/kosovo/
MLA
“Kosovo Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/kosovo/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Kosovo Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/kosovo/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kosovo in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Kosovo's population in 2026 is projected at 1,666,992.
What is the median age in Kosovo?
The projected median age in Kosovo in 2026 is 33.2 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Kosovo?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.52 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Kosovo's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will remain broadly stable, from 1.7M to 1.6M.
What share of Kosovo is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 10.9% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 21.9%.
How many babies are born in Kosovo each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 19,260 births and 10,430 deaths in 2026, about 53 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 8,830.
What is life expectancy in Kosovo for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 80.6 years for women and 76.4 years for men, a gap of 4.2 years in favour of women.
Does Kosovo have more immigrants or emigrants?
Kosovo is projected to lose about 14,025 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −563,965.
What is the sex ratio in Kosovo?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 96.8 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.