For the first time since around the 17th century, Islam is no longer the majority religion in Albania.
According to its 2023 national census, Muslims, which include Sunni and non‑denominational adherents, compose approximately 45.9 percent of the population, down from about 56.7 percent in 2011.
While Bektashi Muslims (4.8 percent) are considered separately, the census indicates that “Muslim” identity as a whole, falls below 50 percent for the first time in Albania’s modern recorded history.
How Did Albania Become Muslim?
Religion in Albania underwent dramatic transformation during the Ottoman era, when a large portion of the population converted to Islam beginning in the 15th century. During that period and through much of the Ottoman rule, Albania had a clear Muslim majority.
Even in the interwar and early communist eras, Muslims still made up roughly two‑thirds of the population, with Orthodox and Catholic minorities accounting for around 30 percent combined.
Through the 20th century, religious demography remained relatively stable until the communist regime (1944–1990) aggressively suppressed religious practice.
Yet, by the 2011 census, Muslims still comprised 56.7 percent, while Christians (Catholics and Orthodox) made up around 16.8 percent.
The 2023 Census
The 2023 census, conducted by INSTAT, revealed that 1,101,718 individuals (45.86 %) identified as Muslim (primarily Sunni), while 115,644 (4.81 %) identified as Bektashi Muslims, a Sufi order often distinguished from Sunni Islam.
Christians together (Catholic 8.38 %, Orthodox 7.22 %) account for approximately 15.6 percent, while those who identified as believers without denomination total 13.8 percent, atheists 3.55 percent, and 15.76 percent declined to answer.
The rise in “non‑denominational believers” and the large proportion who declined to state a religion reflect a broader trend toward secularism or private spirituality.
A 2024 survey by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation found that 33.8 percent believe in God without affiliating with a specific religion, with 7.2 percent identifying as atheist or agnostic.
Why Is Islam Losing Its Believers in Albania?
Several dynamics can explain this phenomenon. Many younger Albanians now lean away from formal religious identification, instead reporting beliefs without denomination or no religion at all.
Economic migration, especially youth leaving Albania for work abroad, reduced the share of devout Muslim households.
The demographic decline of those identifying as Muslim, by roughly 10 percentage points since 2011, reflects both generational change and urban secularization.
Meanwhile, Christian denominations have remained relatively stable or declined less sharply. The proportion of Catholics and Orthodox has held near 7–10 percent each.
Critics, especially from the Orthodox Church, argue that the census undercounts their community: nearly one‑third of the population declined to declare a religion.
Also, the Church contends those numbers mask substantially higher Orthodox numbers based on baptism records and parish data.
The Significance
This shift holds symbolic and political significance. For centuries, Albania was historically viewed, alongside Kosovo and Bosnia, as one of Europe’s few Muslim‑majority societies. With Muslims now under 50 percent, Albania loses that designation in official terms.
That may affect national narratives, especially regarding its bid for European Union membership.
Politicians have previously highlighted Albania’s religious tolerance, suggesting Islam coexists harmoniously with Christian communities, but this new reality may shift how religious identity is featured in public discourse.
Future Implications and Ongoing Debates
Still, the census results remain controversial. The Orthodox Church has publicly contested the accuracy of the data, citing methodological flaws and the high number of non‑responses.
These factors may understate religious identity among Christians. Whether future censuses or surveys will alter this picture remains to be seen.
What is clear is that Albania is undergoing a major transformation in religious identity. The shift toward secularism, rising non‑denominational spirituality, and demographic decline of traditional religious affiliations reflect broader changes affecting many European nations.
Albania’s unique history of religious coexistence, and its secular constitutional structure, may help it navigate this change peacefully, but the era of formal Muslim plurality has definitively ended.
In summary, according to the 2023 census, Muslims now represent less than half of Albania’s population for the first time in recorded history, marking a pivotal shift not seen since before the Ottoman period.
This demographic turn illustrates deep cultural, generational, and migratory trends reshaping religion in Albania today.
