CDT: Montenegro has become a country where society is aging rapidly

Montenegro, although it has progressed in some demographic areas since regaining independence, has essentially become a country in which society is rapidly aging and regions are increasingly unequal, the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) announced.

This was shown by an analysis of demographic trends from the restoration of independence to the present day, written for CDT by the president of the Society of Statisticians and Demographers of Montenegro, Gordana Radojević.

The Analysis states that Montenegro is recording relative stability in its total population and progress in a number of key demographic and development indicators, such as the total population, which increased by 1,7 percent.

"Life expectancy has increased by more than five years, while infant and child mortality rates have been reduced several times, from 11 percent to 1,6 percent. At the same time, the number of highly educated people has more than doubled, indicating significant progress in the quality of human capital," the analysis says.

It is estimated that one of the most positive transformations in the past two decades relates to the improvement of the educational structure of the population.

"The number of highly educated people increased from 61,8 thousand in 2003 to 133,9 thousand in 2023, while the number of people without schooling or with incomplete primary education decreased from 21,2 thousand to only 4,2 thousand," the analysis points out, adding that, however, the natural growth rate is lower.

"The number of live births decreased from 7.531 in 2006 to a historic low of 6.910 in 2025, while the number of deaths increased from 5.968 to 6.398. Consequently, the natural increase decreased by almost two-thirds, from 1.563 to 512 persons per year, while the natural increase rate fell from 2,5 percent to just 1,0 percent," the Analysis states.

One of the key problems, as stated, is negative migration flows.

It is considered particularly worrying that emigration has been accelerating in the last ten years.

It is stated that from 2015–2019, more than 8.499 people emigrated from Montenegro, while from 2020 to 2023, that number increased to 15.506, according to data from the Statistical Office.

It is added that in 2023, almost seven thousand people left the country, which represents the largest annual emigration outflow in recent statistical records.

"It is particularly worrying that emigration flows predominantly include young and working-age population, thus emigration directly affects fertility, the labor market and the long-term development potential of the country," the document adds.

It is stated that the analysis was prepared as part of the dialogue that the CDT is initiating with the Damar Institute on the occasion of marking 20 years of independence.