The highest fertility in Europe - for how long? analyses of recent changes in Albania

Albania’s demographic changes have sparked considerable interest in recent years. Much of this attention has arisen due to a general lack of knowledge and unexpected demographic behaviour of the Albanian populations. The country has experienced a high level of life expectancy and relatively high levels of fertility in the recent years. While previous research gives some answers to developing trends and patterns of mortality and fertility change, not much is known about the demographic behaviour of Albanians. Though Falkingham and Gjonca (2001), using census data, provide useful insights into the fertility transition in Albania from 1950 to 1990, very little is known about fertility behaviour neither during the communist period nor during the nineties. From being one of the most isolated countries of the world, Albania has embarked on a remarkable transition which involves dramatic political and economic change. The new and emerging situation is bound to have profound impact on society and the behaviour of individuals within it.