Kosovo Census Indicates Population Decline, But Ethnic-Serb Participation Uncertain

Preliminary results of Kosovo’s census suggest that the Western Balkan nation’s population has declined over the past decade, although a boycott by the ethnic-Serbian minority may have skewed the data. An official said on May 25 that the country’s population was about 1.5 million, down from 1.74 million in 2011, the date of the last census. When the census began, Serb List, the dominant Serbian political party in Kosovo -- which enjoys Belgrade's support — said Serbs wouldn't participate in the process. Serbia has never acknowledged its former province's 2008 declaration of independence, and tensions are high between ethnic-Albanian and Serbian residents. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, click here.