North Macedonia

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 386,718 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2017 est.)

Broadcast media

public service TV broadcaster Macedonian Radio and Television operates 3 national terrestrial TV channels and 2 satellite TV channels; additionally, there are 10 regional TV stations that broadcast nationally using terrestrial transmitters, 54 TV channels with concession for cable TV, 9 regional TV stations with concessions for cable TV; 4 satellite TV channels broadcasting on a national level, 21 local commercial TV channels, and a large number of cable operators that offer domestic and international programming; the public radio broadcaster operates over 3 stations; there are 4 privately owned radio stations that broadcast nationally; 17 regional radio stations, and 49 local commercial radio stations (2018)

Internet country code

.mk

Internet users

total: 1.475 million (July 2016 est.) | percent of population: 70.4% (July 2016 est.)

Telephone system

general assessment: being part of the EU pre-accession process has led to a stronger teledensity with closer regulatory framework, independent regulators and administrative ties with the the European Commission (EC) have led to progress; broadband services are widely available; more customers moving to fibre networks; 2 mobile network operators; end of roaming tariffs (2017) | domestic: fixed-line 17 per 100 and mobile-cellular 101 per 100 subscriptions (2017) | international: country code - 389 (2017)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 361,269 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2017 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 2,121,805 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 101 (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

grapes, tobacco, vegetables, fruits; milk, eggs

Budget

revenues: 3.295 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 3.605 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate

3.25% (31 March 2017) | 3.75% (31 December 2016) | note: series discontinued in January 2010; the discount rate has been replaced by a referent rate for calculating the penalty rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

6.21% (31 December 2017 est.) | 6.61% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance

-$151 million (2017 est.) | -$293 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external

$8.79 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $7.685 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

33.7 (2015) | 35.2 (2014)

Economy - overview

Since its independence in 1991, Macedonia has made progress in liberalizing its economy and improving its business environment. Its low tax rates and free economic zones have helped to attract foreign investment, which is still low relative to the rest of Europe. Corruption and weak rule of law remain significant problems. Some businesses complain of opaque regulations and unequal enforcement of the law. Macedonia’s economy is closely linked to Europe as a customer for exports and source of investment, and has suffered as a result of prolonged weakness in the euro zone. Unemployment has remained consistently high at about 23%, but may be overstated based on the existence of an extensive gray market, estimated to be between 20% and 45% of GDP, which is not captured by official statistics. Macedonia is working to build a country-wide natural gas pipeline and distribution network. Currently, Macedonia receives its small natural gas supplies from Russia via Bulgaria. In 2016, Macedonia signed a memorandum of understanding with Greece to build an interconnector that could connect to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline that will traverse the region once complete, or to an LNG import terminal in Greece. Macedonia maintained macroeconomic stability through the global financial crisis by conducting prudent monetary policy, which keeps the domestic currency pegged to the euro, and inflation at a low level. However, in the last two years, the internal political crisis has hampered economic performance, with GDP growth slowing in 2016 and 2017, and both domestic private and public investments declining. Fiscal policies were lax, with unproductive public expenditures, including subsidies and pension increases, and rising guarantees for the debt of state owned enterprises, and fiscal targets were consistently missed. In 2017, public debt stabilized at about 47% of GDP, still relatively low compared to its Western Balkan neighbors and the rest of Europe.

Exchange rates

Macedonian denars (MKD) per US dollar - | 55.8 (2017 est.) | 55.733 (2016 est.) | 55.733 (2015 est.) | 55.537 (2014 est.) | 46.437 (2013 est.)

Exports

$4.601 billion (2017 est.) | $3.75 billion (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities

foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco; textiles, miscellaneous manufactures, iron, steel; automotive parts

Exports - partners

Germany 46.7%, Bulgaria 6.1%, Serbia 4.4%, Belgium 4.1% (2017)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$11.37 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$31.03 billion (2017 est.) | $31.02 billion (2016 est.) | $30.15 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars; Macedonia has a large informal sector that may not be reflected in these data

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 65.6% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 15.6% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 13.6% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 20.2% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 54% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -69% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 10.9% (2017 est.) | industry: 26.6% (2017 est.) | services: 62.5% (2017 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$14,900 (2017 est.) | $15,000 (2016 est.) | $14,600 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - real growth rate

0% (2017 est.) | 2.9% (2016 est.) | 3.9% (2015 est.)

Gross national saving

30.3% of GDP (2017 est.) | 29.9% of GDP (2016 est.) | 28.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 25% (2015 est.) | highest 10%: 25% (2015 est.)

Imports

$6.63 billion (2017 est.) | $5.805 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products

Imports - partners

Germany 11.9%, UK 10%, Greece 8%, Serbia 7.1%, China 5.9%, Italy 5.5%, Turkey 4.5%, Bulgaria 4.3% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate

-7.8% (2017 est.)

Industries

food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, iron, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceuticals, automotive parts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.4% (2017 est.) | -0.2% (2016 est.)

Labor force

950,800 (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 16.2% | industry: 29.2% | services: 54.5% (2017 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$2.078 billion (31 December 2016) | $1.853 billion (31 December 2015) | $2.269 billion (31 December 2014)

Population below poverty line

21.5% (2015 est.)

Public debt

39.3% of GDP (2017 est.) | 39.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | note: official data from Ministry of Finance; data cover central government debt; this data excludes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; includes treasury debt held by foreign entitites; excludes debt issued by sub-national entities; there are no debt instruments sold for social funds

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.802 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $2.755 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of broad money

$2.403 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $1.909 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$1.169 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $849.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$6.937 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $6.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$6.243 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $5.01 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$2.403 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $1.909 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

29% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

22.4% (2017 est.) | 23.8% (2016 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

7.459 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

142 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

6.42 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

58.5 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

60% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

37% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

2.191 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.828 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

5.396 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption

198.2 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

198.2 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (31 December 2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

21,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

3,065 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

23,560 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Area

total: 25,713 sq km | land: 25,433 sq km | water: 280 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Vermont

Climate

warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

mean elevation: 741 m | elevation extremes: 50 m lowest point: Vardar River | 2764 highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit)

Environment - current issues

air pollution from metallurgical plants; Skopje has severe air pollution problems every winter as a result of industrial emissions, smoke from wood-buring stoves, and exhaust fumes from old cars

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

41 50 N, 22 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

Irrigated land

1,280 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 838 km | border countries (5): Albania 181 km, Bulgaria 162 km, Greece 234 km, Kosovo 160 km, Serbia 101 km

Land use

agricultural land: 44.3% (2011 est.) | arable land: 16.4% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 1.4% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 26.5% (2011 est.) | forest: 39.8% (2011 est.) | other: 15.9% (2011 est.)

Location

Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

high seismic risks

Natural resources

low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

Terrain

mountainous with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River

Administrative divisions

70 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina) and 1 city* (grad); Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Caska, Centar Zupa, Cesinovo-Oblesevo, Cucer Sandevo, Debar, Debarca, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rostusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Skopje*, Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vrapciste, Zelenikovo, Zelino, Zrnovci

Capital

name: Skopje | geographic coordinates: 42 00 N, 21 26 E | time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Macedonia | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991 (2018) | amendments: proposed by the president of the republic, by the government, by signed agreement of at least 30 members of the Assembly, or by petition of at least 150,000 citizens; draft amendments require approval by majority vote of Assembly members, followed by public debate; passage of final amendment to include public comments requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; amended several times, last in 2011 (2018)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Macedonia | conventional short form: Macedonia | local long form: Republika Makedonija | local short form: Makedonija | former: People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia | etymology: the country name derives from the ancient kingdom of Macedon (7th to 2nd centuries B.C.) | note: the provisional designation used by the UN, EU, and NATO is the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (FYROM)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jess L. BAILY (since 12 February 2015) | embassy: Str. Samoilova, Nr. 21, 1000 Skopje | mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, US Department of State, 7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch) | telephone: [389] (2) 310-2000 | FAX: [389] (2) 310-2499

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Vasko NAUMOVSKI (since 18 November 2014) | chancery: 2129 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 667-0501 | FAX: [1] (202) 667-2131 | consulate(s) general: Chicago, Detroit, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Gjorge IVANOV (since 12 May 2009) | head of government: Prime Minister Zoran ZAEV (since 31 May 2017) | cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Assembly by simple majority vote; note - after the December 2016 election, VMRO-DPMNE won a plurality of the seats but failed to gather a majority in the Assembly to establish a government; SDSM, DUI, and the Alliance for Albanians formed an alliance; however, the president refused to give the SDSM leader the mandate to form a new government; VMRO-DPMNE blocked the election of a Speaker of the Assembly until late April 2017, when a majority of Assembly members elected Talat XHAFERI as speaker; in response, demonstrators disrupted the Assembly building, attacking journalists and Assembly members; President Gjorge IVANOV eventually gave the mandate to SDSM’s Zoran ZAEV to form a new coalition government, and the Assembly confirmed the Cabinet on 31 May 2017 | elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 13 and 27 April 2014 (next to be held in 2019); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Assembly | election results: Gjorge IVANOV reelected president in second round; percent of vote - Gjorge IVANOV (independent) 55.3%, Stevo PENDAROVSKI (SDSM) 41.1%, other 3.6%

Flag description

a yellow sun (the Sun of Liberty) with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of the red field; the red and yellow colors have long been associated with Macedonia

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsed independence from Yugoslavia)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (candidate country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 22 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the Judicial Council, a 7-member body of legal professionals, and appointed by the Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Assembly for nonrenewable, 9-year terms | subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Basic Courts

Legal system

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (between 120 and 140 seats; currently 120 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote; possibility of 3 directly elected in diaspora constituencies by simple majority vote provided there is sufficient voter turnout; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 11 December 2016, with a second round held in one polling station on 25 December 2016 (next to be held in 2020) | election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - VMRO-DPMNE 38.1%, SDSM coalition 36.7%, BDI 7.3%, Besa Movement 4.9%, AfA 3.1%, PDSh 2.7%, other 7.2%; seats by party - VMRO-DPMNE 51, SDSM coalition 49, BDI 10, Besa Movement 5, AfA 3, PDSh 2; note - the 3 seats for diaspora went unfilled because none of the candidates won the 6,500 minimum vote threshold | note: as of June 2018, seats by party/coalition - ruling coalition 68 (SDSM coalition 49, BDI 10, Besa Movement 3, PDSh 2, other 5), opposition coalition 52 (VMRO-DPMNE coalition 48, Besa Movement 2, AfA 2); composition - men 75, women 45, percent of women 37.5%

National anthem

name: "Denes nad Makedonija" (Today Over Macedonia) | lyrics/music: Vlado MALESKI/Todor SKALOVSKI | note: written in 1943 and adopted in 1991, the song previously served as the anthem of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia while part of Yugoslavia

National holiday

Independence Day, 8 September (1991); also known as National Day

National symbol(s)

eight-rayed sun; national colors: red, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Albanians or AfA [Ziadin SELA] Besa Movement [Bilal KASAMI] Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSh [Menduh THACI] Democratic Union for Integration or BDI [Ali AHMETI] Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Hristijan MICKOSKI] Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Goran MILEVSKI] Social Democratic Union of Macedonia or SDSM [Zoran ZAEV] Socialist Party of Macedonia or SPM [Ljubislav IVANOV-DZINGO] | note: during the 2016 parliamentary elections SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE each led coalitions

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991. Greek objection to Macedonia’s name, insisting it implies territorial pretensions to the northern Greek province of the same name, and democratic backsliding have stalled the country’s movement toward Euro-Atlantic integration. Immediately after Macedonia declared independence, Greece sought to block Macedonian efforts to gain UN membership if the name "Macedonia" was used. Macedonia was eventually admitted to the UN in 1993 as "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," and at the same time it agreed to UN-sponsored negotiations on the name dispute. In 1995, Greece lifted a 20-month trade embargo and the two countries agreed to normalize relations, but the issue of the name remained unresolved and negotiations for a solution are ongoing. Since 2004, the US and over 130 other nations have recognized Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia. Ethnic Albanian grievances over perceived political and economic inequities escalated into a conflict in 2001 that eventually led to the internationally brokered Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the fighting and established guidelines for constitutional amendments and the creation of new laws that enhanced the rights of minorities. Relations between ethnic Macedonians and ethnic Albanians remain complicated, however. Macedonia's pro-Western government has used its time in office since 2017 to sign a historic deal with Greece in June 2018 to end the name dispute and revive Skopje's NATO and EU membership chances. This followed a nearly three-year political crisis that engulfed Macedonia but ended in June 2017 following a six-month-long government formation period that followed a closely contested election in December 2016. The crisis began after the 2014 legislative and presidential election, and escalated in 2015 when the opposition party began releasing wiretap content that revealed alleged widespread government corruption and abuse. Although Macedonia became an EU candidate in 2005, it has not opened accession negotiations. The country still faces challenges, including fully implementing reforms to overcome a decade of democratic backsliding, resolving the outstanding name dispute with Greece, and stimulating economic growth and development. At the 2008 NATO Summit in Bucharest, Romania, the Allies agreed that Macedonia would be invited to join the Alliance as soon as a mutually acceptable resolution to the name dispute was reached with Greece.

Military branches

Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM; includes General Staff and subordinate Joint Operational Command, Logistic Support Command, Training and Doctrine Command, Special Ops Regiment, Electronic Surveillance Center, and Air Surveillance Center) (2017)

Military expenditures

0.9% of GDP (2017) | 0.97% of GDP (2016) | 1.05% of GDP (2015) | 1.09% of GDP (2014) | 1.17% of GDP (2013)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2008 (2013)

Age structure

0-14 years: 16.24% (male 177,719 /female 166,374) | 15-24 years: 13.41% (male 147,292 /female 136,851) | 25-54 years: 44.55% (male 478,851 /female 465,058) | 55-64 years: 12.43% (male 129,731 /female 133,645) | 65 years and over: 13.38% (male 123,101 /female 160,323) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Europe :: Macedonia Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Macedonia. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate

10.8 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.3% (2011)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

40.2% (2011)

Death rate

9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 41.6 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 23.8 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 17.7 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 5.6 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99.8% of population | rural: 98.9% of population | total: 99.4% of population | unimproved: urban: 0.2% of population | rural: 1.1% of population | total: 0.6% of population (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Romani 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 est.) | note: Macedonia has not conducted a census since 2002; Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 6.5–13% of Macedonia’s population

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

<.1% (201 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<100 (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

<500 (2017 est.)

Health expenditures

6.5% of GDP (2014)

Hospital bed density

4.4 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant mortality rate

total: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 8.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Macedonian (official) 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Romani 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 est.) | note: minority languages are co-official with Macedonian in municipalities where they are spoken by at least 20% of the population; Albanian is co-official in Tetovo, Brvenica, Vrapciste, and other municipalities; Turkish is co-official in Centar Zupa and Plasnica; Romani is co-official in Suto Orizari; Aromanian is co-official in Krusevo; Serbian is co-official in Cucer Sandevo

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.9 years (2018 est.) | male: 73.8 years (2018 est.) | female: 78.2 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.) | total population: 97.8% (2015 est.) | male: 98.8% (2015 est.) | female: 96.8% (2015 est.)

Major urban areas - population

584,000 SKOPJE (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality rate

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 38.2 years | male: 37.2 years | female: 39.3 years (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

26.8 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

noun: Macedonian(s) | adjective: Macedonian

Net migration rate

-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.4% (2016)

Physicians density

2.88 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

2,118,945 (July 2018 est.)

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

Population growth rate

0.19% (2018 est.)

Religions

Macedonian Orthodox 64.8%, Muslim 33.3%, other Christian 0.4%, other and unspecified 1.5% (2002 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 97.2% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 82.6% of population (2015 est.) | total: 90.9% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 2.8% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 17.4% of population (2015 est.) | total: 9.1% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years (2014) | male: 13 years (2014) | female: 13 years (2014)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.49 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 48.2% (2016 est.) | male: 47.9% (2016 est.) | female: 48.8% (2016 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 58% of total population (2018) | rate of urbanization: 0.45% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

Kosovo and Macedonia completed demarcation of their boundary in September 2008Greece continues to reject the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia

Illicit drugs

major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe; although not a financial center and most criminal activity is thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 590 (2017) | note: 481,637 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015- December 2018); Macedonia is predominantly a transit country and hosts fewer than 50 refugees and asylum seekers as of October 2017; 547 migrant arrivals in 2017

Airports

10 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 8 (2017) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2017) | under 914 m: 6 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 2 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013) | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Z3 (2016)

Pipelines

262 km gas, 120 km oil (2017)

Railways

total: 925 km (2017) | standard gauge: 925 km 1.435-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2017)

Roadways

total: 14,182 km (includes 290 km of expressways) (2017) | paved: 9,633 km (2017) | unpaved: 4,549 km (2017)