POPULATION CENSUS 1991 & 1994
:: 1991 CENSUS: TOTAL POPULATION AND ETHNIC COMPOSITION ::...
The total population of the Republic of Macedonia 2,033,964 citizens according to the 1991 census of the Statistical Institute of Macedonia. The total enumerated and estimated population in the Republic of Macedonia for 1991 by municipalities and by ethnic affiliation shows that the Macedonian population is an absolute and overwhelming majority, with the exception of the municipalities of Tetovo (71,77% ethnic Albanians) and Gostivar (64,72% ethnic Albanians). The proportion of ethnic Albanians in the population is significant in Kičevo (46,52 ethnic Albanians) and Kumanovo (37,55% ethnic Albanians). The highest percentage of ethnic Turks live in Makedonski Brod (30,84%) and Debar (25,22%). The concentration of ethnic Serbs is highest in Kumanovo (7,9%).
:: 1994 CENSUS ::...
Under the motto "Data for the Presence and the Future", a new census of the population, households, dwellings and agricultural holdings was carried out in Macedonia from June 20th to July 10th, 1994. As a sovereign state exercising new functions, both internally and internationally, Macedonia needed a new a new broader database for defining a policy and direction on economic and social development.
More over since the beginning of the International Conference on the former Yugoslavia, representatives of some political parties constituted chiefly by members of the nationalities, have constantly put forward statistically unverified data about their numbers. In the meantime, in all neighboring countries extremely exaggerated figures of their appropriate ethnic minorities in Macedonia have been expressed.
After the council of Europe and various other international institutes agreed to provide financial report, the Macedonian Government renewed the proposal, made at the Conference, to organize a new census. A Group of Experts as well as international observers took part in the preparation of the draft act and the carrying out of the census in the filed. It was the first time that a census had been organized in this way in a Balkan and European country, and the experience gained is of extreme significance and can be applied in the performance of similar statistical operators in other countries.
The census was successfully completed - in spite of the delay in the arrival of financial resources - thanks to the effinency of the Sate Census Commission and the flexibility of the state authorities in their cooperation with the Group of Experts. The census was carried out in accordance with all accepted international standards, though there was a delay in several municipalities over the use languages and the number and composition of census commissions, as well as certain problems of purely statistical nature.
The 1994 census is expected to provide authoritative material for the international community. A population coverage was achieved meeting all international standards applied in nation-wide statistical operations. Differences which may appear in the figures of the population in certain cities and municipalities, apart from being dependent on natural and demographic factors, will be a result of the application of a new methodology. The statistical office is required to announce the first results of the census within a period of 30 to 90 days after it's completion. It is considered that the possible differences in the basic demographic data will be within the range of 1% to 2% in comparison with the 1991 census. By July 31th, 1994, the Statistical Institute of Macedonia received from the municipal census commissions census materials on 2,001,368 persons, 479,808 households, 553,213 dwellings and 167,568 agricultural holdings and from its authorized enumerators abroad it received census material on 123,856 persons.
