North Macedonia population pyramid 2026
1,804,062 people in 2026 (projected). North Macedonia’s pyramid is almost a rectangle from 25 to 69, the product of decades of emigration and of fertility falling from over five to under 1.5.
- 2026 population
- 1.8Mrank 152 of 237
- Median age
- 41.4 yearsoldest rank 53
- Fertility rate
- 1.47births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older19.0% age 65+
North Macedonia population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
Hover over or tap a bar to see exact values.
Download this population pyramid
Use the publication-ready SVG, create a high-resolution PNG, or download the complete age-by-sex dataset.
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.
North Macedonia age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 16.2% of the population, while 19.0% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 64.8% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies North Macedonia’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 54.4: about 54 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (25.1 children and 29.3 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes North Macedonia’s population pyramid
Guest workers and later departures
Emigration has been a constant in North Macedonia’s demography. The UN estimates a net outflow of about 423,000 between 1950 and 1999 and a further 329,000 between 2000 and 2023, large amounts for a population that has never exceeded 2.1 million. In the 1960s and 1970s many men left to work in western Europe, especially Germany, as Yugoslav guest workers, and the 1975 chart shows a marked shortage of men across working ages: at 40–44 there were only about 82 men for every 100 women. Departures continued after independence in 1991, but today’s pyramid shows no comparable male deficit among adults under 40, suggesting that more recent emigration has been less concentrated among men.
A rectangle rather than a pyramid
Fertility fell steadily, from over five children per woman in 1950 to three in 1970, below replacement by 2000 and about 1.46 in 2023. Without any sudden collapse in births, and with emigration trimming each generation as it reached adulthood, the result is a strikingly even outline. In 2026 every band from 25–29 to 65–69 contains between roughly 105,000 and 127,000 people, so most of the chart is close to a rectangle, resembling the shape described in the guide to stationary pyramids but produced by decline rather than balance. The bands are widest at 40–49, born around 1977–86. Below age 25 the chart narrows, and the 0–4 band is about a third smaller than the widest bands.
Above 70 the usual gap between the sexes appears: men live about four and a half years less than women, and at 80–84 there are 60 men per 100 women. The 2026 structure is closest to that of neighbouring Montenegro.
Shrinking from both ends
The population peaked at about 2.09 million in 2005. Since 2020 deaths have exceeded births, and in 2026 the UN projects about 20,000 deaths, 16,000 births and a net emigration of about 5,700, so the country loses people both through natural decrease and through migration. Under the medium scenario the population falls to about 1.5 million in 2050 and under 0.9 million by 2100, when people aged 65 and over would make up almost 38% of residents. By 2050 the widest bands are 55–69, sitting above a base about two-fifths narrower. The fastest-declining populations ranking puts this in global context.
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 North Macedonia’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Deaths have exceeded births every year since 2020. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2020 and 2023.
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, North Macedonia is projected to record 16,027 births (about 44 births a day) and 20,314 deaths, a natural decrease of 4,287. Net migration adds −5,731 people, ranking #200 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 576,145 births, 472,266 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −329,153. 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 −104,924 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
- 80.0 years50.8 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 75.6 years50.4 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 16.9 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 5.7per 1,000 births · 158 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 6.5per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 29.3 yearssex ratio at birth 107.5
Women in North Macedonia are projected to live 4.4 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 158 to 5.7 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #158 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 29.3 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 North Macedonia
The median age of 41.4 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.47 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 77.8 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 | 1,804,062 | #152 | Largest first |
| Median age | 41.4 years | #53 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.47 | #174 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -0.6% | #210 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 77.8 years | #89 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 19.0% | #52 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in North Macedonia
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 | 45–49 | 127,027 | 7.0% | 63K / 64.1K |
| 2 | 40–44 | 125,986 | 7.0% | 62.5K / 63.5K |
| 3 | 50–54 | 123,894 | 6.9% | 60K / 63.9K |
| 4 | 35–39 | 122,277 | 6.8% | 61.4K / 60.9K |
| 5 | 55–59 | 121,378 | 6.7% | 58.6K / 62.8K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, North Macedonia has 878,162 males and 925,900 females. That is 94.8 males per 100 females, ranking #180 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 48.7% of the population and females for 51.3%. There are 47,738 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 76.0 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, 107.5 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, above the biological norm of about 105 (see 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 North Macedonia has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 1,248,683 in 1950 to 1,804,062 in 2026, a change of 44%. Over the same span, median age moved from 20.5 to 41.4 years.
The under-15 share changed from 36.1% to 16.2%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 6.5% to 19.0%. 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, North Macedonia’s population is projected to decline by about 16%, reaching 1,512,688 in 2050. The median age changes from 41.4 to 47.8 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 8.6 percentage points to 27.6%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 13.1%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 2,089,807 in 2005. 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 | 1,248,683 | 20.5 | 5.14 | 50.6 | 46,992 | 24,012 | 0 | +1.8% |
| 1960 | 1,435,059 | 20.8 | 3.83 | 60.5 | 44,473 | 15,658 | −10,126 | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 1,664,208 | 21.6 | 3.01 | 65.0 | 41,696 | 13,675 | +60 | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 1,933,038 | 24.9 | 2.36 | 69.1 | 40,145 | 13,599 | −189 | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 2,063,690 | 27.9 | 2.27 | 71.3 | 37,901 | 15,034 | −16,174 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 2,057,252 | 30.9 | 1.86 | 72.6 | 29,766 | 18,009 | −2,824 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 2,051,505 | 34.5 | 1.71 | 75.0 | 26,063 | 18,792 | −16,668 | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 1,872,015 | 39.3 | 1.63 | 74.5 | 20,045 | 24,931 | −23,458 | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 1,831,802 | 40.3 | 1.46 | 77.4 | 16,878 | 19,863 | −5,597 | -0.5% |
| 2024* | 1,823,009 | 40.6 | 1.47 | 77.5 | 16,587 | 19,871 | −5,728 | -0.5% |
| 2026* | 1,804,062 | 41.4 | 1.47 | 77.8 | 16,027 | 20,314 | −5,731 | -0.6% |
| 2030* | 1,762,486 | 42.8 | 1.48 | 78.4 | 15,121 | 21,177 | −5,395 | -0.7% |
| 2040* | 1,641,908 | 45.9 | 1.49 | 79.8 | 14,138 | 22,856 | −4,057 | -0.8% |
| 2050* | 1,512,688 | 47.8 | 1.51 | 81.3 | 12,389 | 22,565 | −2,948 | -0.9% |
| 2060* | 1,371,920 | 49.3 | 1.53 | 82.6 | 9,717 | 21,567 | −2,685 | -1.1% |
| 2070* | 1,226,952 | 51.9 | 1.54 | 83.9 | 8,838 | 20,491 | −2,658 | -1.2% |
| 2080* | 1,093,862 | 53.2 | 1.55 | 85.2 | 7,899 | 18,663 | −1,563 | -1.1% |
| 2090* | 974,133 | 53.5 | 1.55 | 86.4 | 6,491 | 16,559 | −1,315 | -1.2% |
| 2100* | 862,997 | 54.6 | 1.55 | 87.5 | 5,748 | 15,174 | −1,347 | -1.3% |
* 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 | 43,584 | 40,444 | 84,028 | 4.7% |
| 5–9 | 51,282 | 48,218 | 99,500 | 5.5% |
| 10–14 | 55,692 | 53,810 | 109,502 | 6.1% |
| 15–19 | 53,452 | 51,880 | 105,332 | 5.8% |
| 20–24 | 51,022 | 49,934 | 100,956 | 5.6% |
| 25–29 | 53,043 | 51,955 | 104,998 | 5.8% |
| 30–34 | 58,675 | 56,923 | 115,598 | 6.4% |
| 35–39 | 61,411 | 60,866 | 122,277 | 6.8% |
| 40–44 | 62,495 | 63,491 | 125,986 | 7.0% |
| 45–49 | 62,957 | 64,070 | 127,027 | 7.0% |
| 50–54 | 60,040 | 63,854 | 123,894 | 6.9% |
| 55–59 | 58,573 | 62,805 | 121,378 | 6.7% |
| 60–64 | 58,041 | 63,067 | 121,108 | 6.7% |
| 65–69 | 53,562 | 60,004 | 113,566 | 6.3% |
| 70–74 | 45,120 | 54,075 | 99,195 | 5.5% |
| 75–79 | 28,082 | 40,085 | 68,167 | 3.8% |
| 80–84 | 13,566 | 22,708 | 36,274 | 2.0% |
| 85–89 | 5,816 | 12,137 | 17,953 | 1.0% |
| 90–94 | 1,559 | 4,623 | 6,182 | 0.3% |
| 95–99 | 183 | 864 | 1,047 | 0.1% |
| 100+ | 10 | 88 | 98 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to North Macedonia’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.
- Montenegro97% overlap · median age 40.4
- Barbados97% overlap · median age 39.7
- Montserrat97% overlap · median age 41.8
- Belgium96% overlap · median age 42.1
- Aruba96% overlap · median age 41.7
- Slovakia96% overlap · median age 42.8
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for North Macedonia.
Use this chart in your work
Charts and tables may be reused with attribution. Please link to this page and credit the United Nations as the data source.
Embed the population pyramid
Cite this page
APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). North Macedonia Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/north-macedonia/
MLA
“North Macedonia Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/north-macedonia/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “North Macedonia Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/north-macedonia/.
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 North Macedonia in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, North Macedonia's population in 2026 is projected at 1,804,062.
What is the median age in North Macedonia?
The projected median age in North Macedonia in 2026 is 41.4 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in North Macedonia?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.47 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is North Macedonia's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 16%, from 1.8M to 1.5M.
What share of North Macedonia is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 19.0% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 27.6%.
How many babies are born in North Macedonia each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 16,027 births and 20,314 deaths in 2026, about 44 births a day. Deaths exceed births by 4,287.
What is life expectancy in North Macedonia for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 80.0 years for women and 75.6 years for men, a gap of 4.4 years in favour of women.
Does North Macedonia have more immigrants or emigrants?
North Macedonia is projected to lose about 5,731 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −329,153.
What is the sex ratio in North Macedonia?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 94.8 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.