Median age is the population’s midpoint: half of the measured population is younger and half is older. It is measured in years, not percent. The history shows why the latest reading needs care. From 2014 through 2023, the series climbed gradually from 35.7 to 39.7; the next observation, for 2025, moved to 45.4.
A census rebase replaces projections anchored to an older population count with estimates based on the new count. That can shift the median on paper without the population actually becoming 5.7 years older between observations. The official release also cites low fertility, longer life expectancy and emigration among people of reproductive age as forces behind Albania’s underlying ageing.
After the revision, Albania does not look unusually old by European standards. It ranked 18th among 40 countries, with its median age close to the comparison median of 45.1 and below the European Union’s 46.5.
For policy, the level matters more than the apparent speed. An older population generally means fewer workers relative to retirees and greater demand for pensions, health care and elder care. But the break in the series means the jump from 2023 to 2025 should not be projected forward as Albania’s new rate of ageing.