Elbasan County
Qarku i Elbasanit (Albanian) | |
|---|---|
 View of Krraba Pass | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
.svg) | |
| Coordinates: 41°0′N 20°10′E / 41.000°N 20.167°E | |
| Country |  Albania |
| Seat | Elbasan |
| Subdivisions | 7 municipalities, 385 towns and villages |
| Government | |
| • Council chairman | Ermira Urupi[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,199 km2 (1,235 sq mi) |
| Population (2023[2]) | |
• Total | 232,580 |
| • Density | 72.70/km2 (188.3/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| HDI (2022) | 0.795 high · 7th |
| NUTS Code | AL021 |
| Website | Official Website |
Elbasan County (Albanian: Qarku i Elbasanit) is one of the 12 counties of Albania. The population is 232,580 (as of 2023), in an area of 3199 km2.[2] Its capital is the city Elbasan.
Administrative divisions
[edit]Until 2000, Elbasan County was subdivided into four districts: Elbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd, and Peqin. Since the 2015 local government reform, the county consists of the following 7 municipalities: Belsh, Cërrik, Elbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd, Peqin and Prrenjas.[3] Before 2015, it consisted of the following 50 municipalities:
- Belsh
- Bradashesh
- Cërrik
- Elbasan
- Fierzë
- Funarë
- Gjergjan
- Gjinar
- Gjoçaj
- Gostimë
- Gracen
- Gramsh
- Grekan
- Hotolisht
- Kajan
- Karinë
- Klos
- Kodovjat
- Kukur
- Kushovë
- Labinot-Fushë
- Labinot-Mal
- Lenie
- Librazhd
- Lunik
- Mollas
- Orenjë
- Pajovë
- Papër
- Peqin
- Përparim
- Pishaj
- Polis
- Poroçan
- Prrenjas
- Qendër Librazhd
- Qukës
- Rrajcë
- Rrasë
- Shalës
- Shezë
- Shirgjan
- Shushicë
- Skënderbegas
- Steblevë
- Stravaj
- Sult
- Tregan
- Tunjë
- Zavalinë
The municipalities consist of about 385 towns and villages in total. See Villages of Elbasan County for a structured list.
Demographics
[edit]| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 130,000 | — |
| 1960 | 160,849 | +23.7% |
| 1969 | 206,842 | +28.6% |
| 1979 | 281,769 | +36.2% |
| 1989 | 357,497 | +26.9% |
| 2001 | 362,736 | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 295,827 | −18.4% |
| 2023 | 232,580 | −21.4% |
| Source: [4][5] | ||
Elbasan County has 232,580 inhabitants as of 2023. The county is 89.9% Albanian, 1.86% Roma and Balkan Egyptian, 0.23% of a South Slavic ethnicity (mainly Bulgarian, but lesser numbers of Serbs, Macedonians, and Bosniaks), 0.06% Aromanians, 0.06% Greeks, and the rest unidentified or of mixed ethnicities.
Religion
[edit]Between the 2011 and 2023 censuses in Elbasan, there were notable shifts in religious affiliation. The Sunni Muslim population decreased significantly from 64.4% to 52.9%, while Bektashi Muslims rose from 0.5% to 1.4%. The Catholic Christian population slightly declined from 1.0% to 0.7%, and Orthodox Christians remained stable at 5.2%. Evangelical Christians experienced a modest rise, from 0.1% to 0.3%.
There was a substantial increase in the irreligious population: atheists rose from 3.3% to 4.4%, and those identifying as believers without denomination grew significantly from 10.2% to 17.5%. Meanwhile, the "Not stated/other" category also saw an increase, rising from 15.3% to 17.5%.[6]
| Religion group | Census 2011 | Census 2023 (Revised Source) | Difference (2023−2011) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
| Sunni Muslim | 190,550 | 64.4% | 123,133 | 52.9% | -67,417 | -11.5% |
| Bektashi Muslim | 1,515 | 0.5% | 3,186 | 1.4% | +1,671 | +0.9% |
| Total Muslim | 192,065 | 64.9% | 126,319 | 54.3% | -65,746 | -10.6% |
| Catholic Christian | 3,054 | 1.0% | 1,617 | 0.7% | -1,437 | -0.3% |
| Orthodox Christian | 15,295 | 5.2% | 12,140 | 5.2% | -3,155 | +0.0% |
| Evangelical | 147 | 0.1% | 679 | 0.3% | +532 | +0.2% |
| Total Christian* | 18,591 | 6.3% | 14,624 | 6.3% | -3,967 | +0.0% |
| Atheists | 9,679 | 3.3% | 10,167 | 4.4% | +488 | +1.1% |
| Believers without denomination | 30,161 | 10.2% | 40,747 | 17.5% | +10,586 | +7.3% |
| Total Non-religious | 39,840 | 13.5% | 50,914 | 21.9% | +11,074 | +8.4% |
| Not stated / other** | 45,331 | 15.3% | 40,723 | 17.5% | -4,608 | +2.2% |
| TOTAL | 295,827 | 100% | 232,580 | 100% | -63,247 | – |
References
[edit]- ^ "Konstituohet Këshilli i Qarkut Elbasan, Ermira Urupi zgjidhet Kryetare!". 25 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Main Results of the Population and Housing Census 2023" (PDF). INSTAT.
- ^ "Law nr. 115/2014" (PDF) (in Albanian). pp. 6368–6369. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ "Division of Albania".
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Institute of Statistics Albania.
- ^ "Population statistics of Eastern Europe & former USSR". pop-stat.mashke.org. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
External links
[edit]
| |
