Berisha on the start of the school year: Albania lost around 5,900 students in one year

The chairman of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, has congratulated Albanian students, teachers and parents on the start of the new 2026–2027 school year.

He extended a special greeting to the children who are sitting at school desks for the first time, wishing them knowledge, success and the fulfillment of their dreams.

Berisha said that the start of this school year confronts Albania with a serious demographic and educational alarm.

According to him, the number of primary school students fell within one year from 146,962 to 141,089, which means a loss of around 5,900 students, or approximately 4%.

Comparing this figure with the situation in the European Union, where the decline was only 0.2%, the leader of the Democratic Party said that Albania is losing its children at a much faster rate than Europe.

He linked the situation to policies that, in his view, have not curbed depopulation, emigration and the shrinking of Albanian families, but have further worsened these phenomena.

“Dear students, teachers and parents, I extend my warmest wishes to you on this special day for you and for the entire nation. I have a special wish, from the heart, for the little ones who are sitting at school desks for the first time today. I hope that the new school year will be a successful one, full of knowledge, achievements and beautiful dreams,” Berisha said.

“But, dear friends, the new 2026–2027 school year finds Albania facing a major demographic and educational alarm. In just one year, the country has lost around 5,900 primary school students. Their number has fallen from 146,962 to 141,089, a contraction of around 4%, while in the European Union the decline was only 0.2%. In other words, Albania is losing its children much faster than Europe,” he said.

Berisha added that this is the consequence of a policy that has been unable to stop depopulation, emigration and the departure of Albanian families. “Albania is being emptied, but the narco-government, which is also the cause of this emptying, is only pleased with it,” he concluded.