Kosovo Population
Kosovo had an estimated population of 1,576,876 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 153rd most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.02% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of −1.10% a year.
Kosovo at a glance
How Kosovo's population is changing
Kosovo's population is shrinking: −1.10% a year, which works out to about −17,381 people per year, or −48 a day. Births (11.9 per 1,000) and deaths (6.0 per 1,000) alone would give +0.59% a year; net migration removes about 18,380 people a year (−1.17%). Roughly one in every 5,210 people on Earth lives in Kosovo.
Population of Kosovo since 1960
In 1960, Kosovo had 984,846 people. By 2025 that was 1,576,876 — 1.6× larger. The population peaked in 1997 at 2,197,284 and has declined since. The fastest growth came between 1971 and 1981, when the population rose by 29%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 984,846 | — |
| 1970 | 1,249,555 | +26.9% |
| 1980 | 1,604,818 | +28.4% |
| 1990 | 1,973,790 | +23.0% |
| 2000 | 1,802,493 | −8.7% |
| 2010 | 1,788,743 | −0.8% |
| 2020 | 1,790,151 | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 1,576,876 | −11.9% |
Kosovo from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Kosovo at about 383,800 people in 1800; the UN estimates 1,674,131 in 2025 (4× 1800) and projects 1,094,725 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 1997 at 2,197,286 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 383,800 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 778,478 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 1,802,488 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 1,674,131 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 1,643,625 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 1,416,052 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 1,094,725 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Kosovo
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 1,576,876. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pristina | 214,721 | UN urban centre | 13.62% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Prizren | 117,781 | UN urban centre | 7.47% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 3 | Mitrovicë | 107,045 | GeoNames settlement | 6.79% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 4 | Gjakovë | 94,158 | GeoNames settlement | 5.97% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 5 | Suva Reka | 72,229 | GeoNames settlement | 4.58% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | Ferizaj | 68,479 | UN urban centre | 4.34% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 7 | Glogovac | 58,579 | GeoNames settlement | 3.71% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Gjilan | 51,912 | GeoNames settlement | 3.29% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Deçan | 50,500 | GeoNames settlement | 3.20% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Pejë | 48,962 | GeoNames settlement | 3.11% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Kosovo compares
Kosovo has almost the same population as Bahrain (1,600,366).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Kosovo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #151 |  North Macedonia | 1,820,909 | +15% | compare → |
| #152 |  Bahrain | 1,600,366 | +1% | compare → |
| #154 |  Timor-Leste | 1,418,517 | −10% | compare → |
| #155 |  Cyprus | 1,370,754 | −13% | compare → |
Compare Kosovo with any country →
Same region (Europe & Central Asia): Russia, Türkiye, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy.
Explore around Kosovo
Land neighbours (4)
Serbia 6,549,143 · 4.2× the population · compare
Albania 2,349,580 · 1.5× the population · compare- North Macedonia 1,820,909 · 1.2× the population · compare
Montenegro 623,129 · 2.5× smaller · compare
Kosovo's 4 neighbours together hold 11,342,761 people — 7.2× Kosovo's population. The most populous is Serbia (6,549,143).
In its region
Kosovo is the 44th most populous of the 58 economies in Europe & Central Asia, holding 0.2% of the region's 932,525,035 people.
Rankings featuring Kosovo
Cities
Pristina, Prizren, Mitrovicë, Gjakovë, Suva Reka, Ferizaj, Glogovac, Gjilan — all Kosovo's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Kosovo when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.