Albania is experiencing a prolonged wave of emigration, which is giving more and more consequences to the economy, as most of the new workforce is leaving. 

Eurostat data on asylum applications by age group show that since 2011 when data are reported until 2020, the vast majority of applications in the 27 countries of the European Union, on average about 77-78% consists of the age group under 34 years. 

In 2020, there were a total of about 7,000 asylum applications, of which 30% were under the age of 18, 47% were under the age of 18 (77% under the age of 34). 22% of those who attempted to flee seeking asylum were in the 35-64 age group and 1% over 65 years old. The same structure is observed throughout the last decade: Asylum applications in the EU-27, by age group, 2011-2020). In total there are about 160.000 young people who have sought asylum in the last decade in one of the 27 countries of the European Union. 

Other national INSTAT data show that high youth emigration, combined with declining birth rates and the gradual aging of the population is reducing the young active population in the country. The population in the 15-29 age group shrank by about 18,000 in 2020. In this age range, the largest decrease was for young people aged 15-19 with over 8.000 people. 

As the workforce in young age groups is shrinking rapidly, businesses across the country are experiencing the hardships created by the shortage of employees. Service units, hotels and restaurants across the country especially in the tourist areas, fason sector and call center are feeling the shortcomings. The pandemic crisis which also came as an economic crisis is expected to have a negative impact on demographic indicators, especially in terms of emigration. 

Ilir Gëdeshi, a well-known expert on immigration issues, said that the economic crises in Albania have been followed by waves of emigration. The crises of 1990, 1997, 2008 have proved this fact. Even the pandemic crisis, according to Mr. Gëdeshi, threatens to escalate emigration to the country. 

In the coming years, the phenomenon is expected to worsen as they will attempt to escape the part they had planned and did not emigrate during the pandemic. Deteriorating economic conditions could prompt other migrants who had not planned to leave before the pandemic, Gëdeshi said. 

International data show that the pandemic crisis has reversed old immigration trends. In the short term, the pandemic closed borders and restricted travel, causing significant declines in emigration. However, the shocks that the pandemic has dealt to the economies of poor and developing countries herald new waves of emigration. International experts warn that the wave of emigration occurs two or three years after crises that shake people's lives. 

For the period 2011 until 2020, in total in the EU-27 countries (excluding the United Kingdom) applied about 202.000 Albanians. The record was reached in 2015, with 66.000 people, marking a downward trend, to 20.400 people in 2019. In 2020, due to the pandemic, applications fell by 66%, but still remained the highest in the region and among the highest in the world in terms of population.