Albania recorded fewer deaths during 2025, but cardiovascular diseases remain the main problem in the public health picture, as they are linked to more than half of the deaths in the country.
According to the latest data published by INSTAT, in 2025 there were 21,394 deaths, or 3.2% fewer than in 2024, when the number reached 22,102 cases.
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At the same time, the crude death rate fell to 910.5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, from 929.8 a year earlier.
The report shows that the vast majority of deaths in the country, specifically 96.7%, resulted from natural causes. Accidents accounted for 2.2% of the total and recorded a slight increase compared with 2024.
Meanwhile, murders account for 0.2% of the cases, while suicides account for 0.9%, percentages that remained unchanged compared with a year earlier.
Although the total number of deaths has fallen, the distribution by cause is almost the same.
Diseases of the circulatory system account for 52.9% of all deaths, remaining the leading cause of death in Albania.
Within this category, the largest share is held by chronic heart diseases at 42.2%, ischemic heart diseases at 22.4%, and diseases of the blood vessels of the brain at 18.8%.
These indicators confirm that cardiovascular diseases continue to be the biggest challenge for the country’s health system, even though overall mortality indicators have improved.
After heart diseases and the group of cases classified as “symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions,” tumors rank as the third leading cause of death.
In this group, the largest share consists of malignant tumors of the digestive system at 35.5%, followed by tumors of the respiratory system at 23.3% and tumors of the urogenital organs at 14.3%.
Data by gender highlight clear differences.
Among women, diseases of the circulatory system account for 54.5% of deaths, while among men this share is 51.6%.
On the other hand, tumors are more common among men, where they account for 17.5% of deaths, compared with 12.8% among women.
The report also emphasizes that deaths related to old age appear more often among women, which is also linked to their longer life expectancy.
A notable change is seen when the data are analyzed by age group.
Among people aged 20-44, the main cause of death is not chronic disease, but traumatic injuries and poisonings, which account for 33.3% of cases. In second place are diseases of the circulatory system, at 30.1%.
For the 0-19 age group, the leading cause of death remains diseases of the circulatory system at 28.5%, followed by conditions arising in the perinatal period at 22.2%.
As for infant mortality, 106 cases were recorded during 2025, four fewer than a year earlier.
However, the infant mortality rate remained at the same level, 4.7 per 1,000 live births, unchanged from 2024.
INSTAT data show that, although a gradual decline in the total number of deaths is being observed in Albania, the main battle remains against non-communicable chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular ones.
At the same time, the high level of accidents and injuries in the active age groups of the population highlights the need for more effective policies in road safety, occupational health, and the prevention of risk factors.
If the decline in mortality is accompanied by greater investment in prevention, early diagnosis, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles, Albania can further improve public health indicators in the coming years.
