Debar, 3 July 2024 (MIA) - The Macedonians and other minorities in Albania have announced that they will make a joint declaration on non-recognition of the 2023 population and housing census results in the country and will officially request a new census.

"We are drawing up a joint declaration with the representatives of the Greek, Vlach and other minorities to state that we do not recognize the census results. In it, we will provide solid evidence that they are falsified, pure manipulation. We will deliver it to all state and international institutions," Macedonian Alliance for European Integration (MAEI) leader Vasil Sterjovski told MIA. 

MAEI and other Macedonian associations have already declared that they do not recognize the results, and so have Greek associations.

According to the 2023 census results, there are 2,281 Macedonians living in Albania which is more than half less compared to the 2011 census results. According to the Macedonian representatives, over 100,000 Macedonians live in Albania, mainly concentrated in the areas of Mala Prespa, Golo Brdo and Gora, and there are thousands in Tirana, Elbasan, Durres and other cities.

Greek representatives also don't recognize the presented census results according to which 23,485 persons of Greek ethnicity live in Albania. They claim that about 400,000 Greeks live in the country, mainly settled in the southern part of Albania.

In response to the census results, the Greek association "Omonoia" states that the data on religious affiliation is also a manipulation. Accordin g to the association, the number of the Orthodox is greater than the one presented in the results.

The biggest surprise in the 12th population and housing census is the number of members of the Bulgarian minority, which was not even recognized in Albania until 2017. The authorities recognized it after Bulgaria's threats in terms of Albania's European integration path.

According to the results of the 2023 census, there are 7.057 Bulgarians living in Albania now. No citizens had declared themselves Bulgarian in the country’s previous 11 censuses.  

Meanwhile, in response to the series of reactions regarding the results of the 2023 population and household census in Albania, Director of the Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) Elsa Dhuli has claimed that the census process was conducted with full transparency and professionalism.