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Youth emigration has been a major factor in the decline in births in recent years, but an increasing tendency to have first births at an older age, often due to pursuing higher education and career development, may lead to a reduction in the number of children that women can have during their lifetime, said Mrs. Netsuri, with long experience in demographic issues.
She noted that there is an increasing tendency to have the first birth at an older age, often due to the pursuit of higher education and career development, This can lead to a reduction in the number of children that women can have during their lifetime.
As gender roles evolve and more women enter the workforce, couples may have fewer children because of the challenges of balancing work and family life, Ms. Nestorius.
According to her, career-oriented women may give priority to professional ambitions over the creation of a family, leading to a delay or reduction in the number of children.
But, according to her, other factors can also play a role, such as: the increase in the number of years spent in education, family planning, maybe it should be studied from the health point of view, the impact of the infertility rate, etc. She said that in many countries policy makers often consider measures to encourage higher birth rates.
These may include family-friendly policies, financial incentives for large families and support for work-life balance.
The efforts are aimed at addressing potential population decline and the challenges associated with it. However, in some countries, financial incentives have proven not always to be effective.
Sociologist Entela Binjaku says that measures to help society should be state policy, through programs of national importance.
She said that programs should be applied for the financial support of young students, who, being supported during their student years, have more security for the future.
Programs should be applied for young families, where one of the members is between 18-45 years old, that is, programs that start from the age criterion to receive support.
Ms. Twinjaku suggested programs for Albanian women of childbearing age who wish to give birth to children, but due to economic difficulties do not undertake this measure.
Youth emigration and declining births are being driven by the cost of living
The costs for a young family in Tirana, but also in the main regions of the country, have increased in recent years, mainly due to the unusual increase in housing prices.
Demographer Ermira Galanxhi says that a young family, in order to decide to have children, must have security for affordable housing and security at work. Bringing a child into life has costs, so the calculations of young couples are not in favor of expanding families.
In Tirana, the average selling price of apartments per square meter until the end of December 2023 reached 1,548 euros from 1,095 euros in the first quarter of 2021, according to the index data of "Keydata Albania", a publication by Çelësi Media Group .
Compared to the beginning of 2021, the average sale prices of apartments increased by 41%. Even the median housing prices have moved within the range of 991 euros/m² to 1,452 euros/m², accompanied by a 42.1% increase from the first quarter of 2021 to the last quarter.
Official data from INSTAT show that in the quarter of 2023, the average salary in the economy reached 71,486 ALL, with a real increase of only 12% compared to 2021. The data refer to the fact that the price of housing has increased more than salaries, making it even more difficult conditions for young people to buy the apartment.
In slightly softer trends, rents have also increased. The growth started after the 2019 earthquake and was reinforced even more in the two years with the arrival of a higher number of tourists.
The flow of visitors has reached the demand for daily rentals. Now a large part of apartments in Tirana are being rented by the day, exerting pressure on the increase in the prices of long-term rentals.
From the analysis of the database of the real estate agency "Future Home", rental prices for a long-term period from 2022 to 2023 have increased by 35%.
The head of the real estate agency, Mr. Fatjon Hysenbelliu, claimed for "Monitor" that in some areas of Tirana, the increase in prices is over 35%. Apartment rents also showed a high growth last year.
Housing is the most necessary asset for a young family that will have children, says demographer Ermira Galanxhi. For example, if a couple has one child they will be forced to cancel plans for a second one, even if they want one, due to high costs.
Demographers note high costs for the infrastructure needed to raise children. The prices of educational services and helping to raise children are high. In Albania, schools in the primary system close four hours before parents leave work.
Under these conditions, families have to hire someone to babysit or pay more for after-school programs that are very expensive in our country. Demographers claim that the government must identify the fundamental problems that prevent the desired births to support new families.
Mrs. Nesturi says that the infrastructure for young couples who do not give birth for economic reasons should be improved. They should have access to low-interest loans, free housing, free school infrastructure, job security, etc./ Monitor
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