2021 North Macedonia census
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The 2021 North Macedonia census, officially known as the Census of Population, Households and Dwellings, 2021, was the third census held in North Macedonia since independence, and the first since 2002. The census recorded a resident population of 1,836,713, a decrease of 9.2 percent, or 185,834, over the preceding 19 years.[1] The census was taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected its administration.[2] It was also considered controversial by some Macedonian groups; the opposition party The Left openly led a boycott.[3][4][5] 132,260 individuals (7.2% of the population) did not participate in the census and are officially labelled as "persons for whom data are taken from administrative sources"; no ethnic, language, or religious information is available for these individuals. Nonetheless, the head of the State Statistical Office, Apostol Simovski, stated that the census was successful.[4] The ruling government and the European Commission also welcomed the results.[6]
For the first time, members of the country's diaspora were allowed to self-register for the census.[7] This participation was optional.[4] Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti encouraged ethnic Albanians in the diaspora to participate in the census.[8]
Prior to the launching of the census, the main opposition party VMRO-DPMNE stated that the results would be rigged to show previously agreed-upon numbers between the ruling party and its ethnic Albanian coalition partners. "Don't Open the Door", an informal movement, called for citizens to boycott the census.[9]