Elbasan County

Elbasan County (Albanian: Qarku i Elbasanit) is one of the 12 counties of Albania. The population is 232,580 (as of 2023), in an area of 3199 km².^[2] Its capital is the city Elbasan.

Elbasan County Qarku i Elbasanit (Albanian)
County
View of Krraba Pass
Flag Emblem
Coordinates: 41°0′N 20°10′E
Country	Albania
Seat	Elbasan
Subdivisions	7 municipalities, 385 towns and villages
Government
• Council chairman	Ermira Urupi[1]
Area
• Total	3,199 km2 (1,235 sq mi)
Population  (2023[2])
• Total	232,580
• Density	73/km2 (190/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
HDI (2022)	0.779 high · 7th
NUTS Code	AL021
Website	Official Website

Administrative divisions

Until 2000, Elbasan County was subdivided into four districts: Elbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd, and Peqin. Since the 2015 local government reform, the county consists of the following 7 municipalities: Belsh, Cërrik, Elbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd, Peqin and Prrenjas.^[3] Before 2015, it consisted of the following 50 municipalities:

• Belsh
• Bradashesh
• Cërrik
• Elbasan
• Fierzë
• Funarë
• Gjergjan
• Gjinar
• Gjoçaj
• Gostimë
• Gracen
• Gramsh
• Grekan
• Hotolisht
• Kajan
• Karinë
• Klos
• Kodovjat
• Kukur
• Kushovë
• Labinot-Fushë
• Labinot-Mal
• Lenie
• Librazhd
• Lunik
• Mollas
• Orenjë
• Pajovë
• Papër
• Peqin
• Përparim
• Pishaj
• Polis
• Poroçan
• Prrenjas
• Qendër Librazhd
• Qukës
• Rrajcë
• Rrasë
• Shalës
• Shezë
• Shirgjan
• Shushicë
• Skënderbegas
• Steblevë
• Stravaj
• Sult
• Tregan
• Tunjë
• Zavalinë

The municipalities consist of about 385 towns and villages in total. See Villages of Elbasan County for a structured list.

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1950	130,000	—
1960	160,849	+23.7%
1969	206,842	+28.6%
1979	281,769	+36.2%
1989	357,497	+26.9%
2001	362,736	+1.5%
2011	295,827	−18.4%
2023	232,580	−21.4%
Source: [4][5]

Elbasan County has 232,580 inhabitants as of 2023. The county is 89.9% Albanian, 1.86% Roma and Balkan Egyptian, 0.23% of a South Slavic ethnicity (mainly Bulgarian, but lesser numbers of Serbs, Macedonians, and Bosniaks), 0.06% Aromanians, 0.06% Greeks, and the rest unidentified or of mixed ethnicities.

Religion

Between the 2011 and 2023 censuses in Elbasan, there were notable shifts in religious affiliation. The Muslim population decreased significantly from 64.4% to 52.9%, while Bektashism rose from 0.5% to 1.4%. The Catholic Christian population slightly declined from 1.0% to 0.7%, and Orthodox Christians remained stable at 5.2%. Evangelical Christians experienced a modest rise, from 0.1% to 0.3%.

There was a substantial increase in the irreligious population: atheists rose from 3.3% to 4.4%, and those identifying as believers without denomination grew significantly from 10.2% to 17.5%. Meanwhile, the "Not stated/other" category also saw an increase, rising from 15.3% to 17.5%.^[6]

Population of Elbasan according to religious group (2011–2023)

Religion group	Census 2011		Census 2023 (Revised Source)		Difference (2023−2011)
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
Muslim	190,550	64.4%	123,133	52.9%	-67,417	-11.5%
Bektashi	1,515	0.5%	3,186	1.4%	+1,671	+0.9%
Total Muslim	192,065	64.9%	126,319	54.3%	-65,746	-10.6%
Catholic Christian	3,054	1.0%	1,617	0.7%	-1,437	-0.3%
Orthodox Christian	15,295	5.2%	12,140	5.2%	-3,155	+0.0%
Evangelical	147	0.1%	679	0.3%	+532	+0.2%
Total Christian*	18,591	6.3%	14,624	6.3%	-3,967	+0.0%
Atheists	9,679	3.3%	10,167	4.4%	+488	+1.1%
Believers without denomination	30,161	10.2%	40,747	17.5%	+10,586	+7.3%
Total Non-religious	39,840	13.5%	50,914	21.9%	+11,074	+8.4%
Not stated / other**	45,331	15.3%	40,723	17.5%	-4,608	+2.2%
TOTAL	295,827	100%	232,580	100%	-63,247	–