site.btaRepublic of North Macedonia Census Results to Be Published on March 30

The final results of the last census held in the Republic of North Macedonia will be made public on March 30, the Director of the State Statistical Office, Apostol Simovski, said in an interview for the state TV24.

“It would be an illusion to expect an increase of the population when emigration has increased. A very wrong demographic strategy was devised 16 years ago, as it was focused on birth rate and the young people who carry it are those who emigrate. Another type of policy is required. Everyone should have the option for a good job and payment, quality education and health care, as well as good connectivity to every point in the state, but even if this is done a demographic boom cannot be expected,” Simovski commented. He refused to give any particular results from the census whatsoever.

“September is (still) summer and some people were holidaying abroad in Greece and Albania – this is the active holiday time for farmers. There was also a pandemic, but enormous work was done,” said Simovski, commenting on the inappropriate timing of the census in September 2021.

The census methodology was designed after international standards, promulgated in the Official Journal and that precluded any political influence on the results, he said.

Representatives of the statistical institutes in all neighbouring countries and Eurostat have been invited to attend the official announcement of the results, Simovski specified.

The last complete census on the Republic of North Macedonia was held in 2002.

BTA correspondent Marinela Velichkova contributed to this story.