North Macedonia
Republic of North Macedonia
Population
2.14M
Area
25,713 km²
GDP
$16.68B
GDP Per Capita
$24,500
Pop. Density
83/km²
Quick Facts
Currency
dendenar(MKD)
Calling Code
+389
Timezone
UTC+01:00
Languages
Macedonian
Driving Side
right
Demonym
Macedonian
Background
North Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991 under the name of "Macedonia." Greece objected to the new country’s name, insisting it implied territorial pretensions to the northern Greek province of Macedonia, and democratic backsliding for several years stalled North Macedonia's movement toward Euro-Atlantic integration. Immediately after Macedonia declared independence, Greece sought to block its efforts to gain UN membership if the name "Macedonia" was used. The country 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 amid ongoing negotiations. As an interim measure, the US and over 130 other nations recognized Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia.
Ethnic Albanian grievances over perceived political and economic inequities escalated into an armed conflict in 2001 that eventually led to the internationally brokered Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the fighting and established guidelines for constitutional amendments and new laws that enhanced the rights of minorities. In 2018, the government adopted a new law on languages, which elevated the Albanian language to an official language at the national level and kept the Macedonian language as the sole official language in international relations, but ties between ethnic Macedonians and ethnic Albanians remain complicated.
In 2018, Macedonia and Greece signed the Prespa Agreement whereby Macedonia agreed to change its name to North Macedonia, and the agreement went in to force on 12 February 2019. North Macedonia joined NATO in 2020 after amending its constitution as agreed and opened EU accession talks in 2022 after a two-year veto by Bulgaria over identity, language, and historical disputes. The 2014 legislative and presidential election triggered a political crisis that lasted almost three years and escalated in 2015 when the opposition party began releasing wiretapped material revealing alleged widespread government corruption and abuse. The country still faces challenges, including fully implementing reforms to overcome years of democratic backsliding, stimulating economic growth and development, and fighting organized crime and corruption.
Historical Trends
GDP (USD)
↑147.1% since 2006Population
↓8.5% since 2006Life Expectancy at Birth
Latest: 75.3 yearsData source: World Bank Open Data
Geography18
Location
Southeastern Europe, north of Greece
Geographic coordinates
41 50 N, 22 00 E
Map references
Europe
Area
land: 25,433 sq km
water: 280 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly larger than Vermont; almost four times the size of Delaware
Land boundaries
border countries: Albania 181 km; Bulgaria 162 km; Greece 234 km; Kosovo 160 km; Serbia 101 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall
Terrain
mountainous with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River
Elevation
lowest point: Vardar River 50 m
mean elevation: 741 m
Natural resources
low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land
Land use
agricultural land
agricultural land: arable land
agricultural land: permanent crops
agricultural land: permanent pasture
forest
other
Irrigated land
844 sq km (2016)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Population distribution
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
Natural hazards
high seismic risks
Geography - note
landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe
People & Society34
Population
male: 1,065,634
female: 1,071,922
Nationality
adjective: Macedonian
Ethnic groups
Macedonian 58.4%, Albanian 24.3%, Turkish 3.9%, Romani 2.5%, Serb 1.3%, other 2.3%, no ethnic affiliation data available 7.2% (2021 est.)
Languages
major-language sample(s):
Книга на Светски Факти, неопходен извор на основни информации. (Macedonian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Orthodox 46.1%, Islam 32.2%, Christian 13.2%, Other 7.2%; less than 1%: atheist, Catholic, other religions, not specified, Protestant (2021 est.)
Age structure
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 740,649/female 719,627)
65 years and over: 15.6% (2024 est.) (male 147,655/female 186,323)
Dependency ratios
youth dependency ratio: 23.3 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 23.6 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 4.2 (2025 est.)
Median age
male: 39.4 years
female: 41.6 years
Population growth rate
0.08% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
10.07 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
9.62 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 0.61% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
611,000 SKOPJE (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
26.9 years (2020 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
3 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
male: 75.3 years
female: 79.6 years
Total fertility rate
1.53 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
0.74 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 12.4% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
2.94 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Hospital bed density
4.2 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
22.4% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer: 1.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 1.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
0.9% (2019 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
66.1% (2021 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 18: 7.5% (2019)
Literacy
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male: 14 years (2022 est.)
female: 15 years (2022 est.)
Government23
Country name
conventional long form
conventional short form
local long form
local short form
former
etymology
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
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
etymology: the name is of Illyrian or Macedonian origin, and the meaning is unclear; derives from Scupi, its name during the Roman era
Administrative divisions
*the Greater Skopje area is composed of 10 municipalities: Aerodrom, Butel, Centar, Chair, Gazi Baba, Gjorce Petrov, Karposh, Kisela Voda, Saraj, and Shuto Orizari
Legal system
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Constitution
amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic, by the government, by at least 30 members of the Assembly, or by petition of at least 150,000 citizens; final approval requires a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of North Macedonia
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
head of government
cabinet
election/appointment process
most recent election date
election results
2024: Hristijan MICKOSKI elected prime minister; Assembly vote - 77 for, 22 against
2024: Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA elected president in the second round; percent of vote - Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA (VMRO-DPMNE) 69%, Stevo PENDAROVSKI (SDSM) 31%
2024: Talat XHAFERI elected caretaker prime minister; Assembly vote - 65 for (opposition boycott)
2022: Dimitar KOVACEVSKI elected prime minister; Assembly vote - NA
expected date of next election
Legislative branch
legislature name
legislative structure
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
parties elected and seats per party
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Judicial branch
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
Political parties
Alternative (Alternativa) or AAA
Besa Movement or BESA
Citizen Option for Macedonia or GROM
Democratic Alliance or DS
Democratic Movement or LD
Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSH
Democratic Party of Serbs or DPSM
Democratic Renewal of Macedonia or DOM
Democratic Union for Integration or BDI
European Democratic Party or PDE
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - People's Party or VMRO-NP
Liberal Democratic Party or LDP
New Social-Democratic Party or NSDP
Social Democratic Union of Macedonia or SDSM
Socialist Party of Macedonia or SPM
Srpska Stranka in Macedonia or SSM
The Left (Levica)
The People Movement or LP
Turkish Democratic Party or TDP
Turkish Movement Party or THP
We Can! (coalition includes SDSM/BESA/VMRO-NP, DPT, LDP)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission
chancery
telephone
FAX
email address and website
washington@mfa.gov.mk
United States (mfa.gov.mk)
consulate(s) general
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
embassy
mailing address
telephone
FAX
email address and website
SkopjeACS@state.gov
https://mk.usembassy.gov/
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, NATO, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Independence
8 September 1991 (referendum endorsed independence from Yugoslavia)
National holiday
Independence Day, 8 September (1991), also known as National Day
Flag
meaning: the red and yellow colors have long been associated with Macedonia
National symbol(s)
eight-rayed sun
National color(s)
red, yellow
National anthem(s)
lyrics/music: Vlado MALESKI/Todor SKALOVSKI
history: written in 1943 and adopted in 1991, the song previously served as the anthem of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, when it was part of Yugoslavia
National heritage
selected World Heritage Site locales: Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region; Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians
Economy32
Economic overview
upper-middle-income European economy; GDP growth driven by private consumption, public infrastructure investments, and wage growth; stalled progress on EU accession; public debt rising due to high pensions, wages, and interest payments; structural challenges of emigration, low productivity growth, and governance
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $42.668 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $41.801 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 2.1% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 2.8% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2023: $23,300 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $22,800 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$16.685 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 9.4% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 14.2% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry: 22.7% (2024 est.)
services: 59.2% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption
government consumption
investment in fixed capital
investment in inventories
exports of goods and services
imports of goods and services
Agricultural products
chillies/peppers, milk, wheat, potatoes, grapes, barley, cabbages, maize, watermelons, tomatoes (2023)
Industries
food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, iron, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceuticals, automotive parts
Industrial production growth rate
1.8% (2024 est.)
Labor force
779,200 (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2023: 13.2% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 14.5% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male: 29.2% (2024 est.)
female: 32.3% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line
21.8% (2019 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
Average household expenditures
on alcohol and tobacco: 4.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
highest 10%: 22.9% (2019 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2023: 2.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 3.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Budget
expenditures: $5.514 billion (2023 est.)
Public debt
Taxes and other revenues
17.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Current account balance
Current account balance 2023: $56.573 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$868.965 million (2022 est.)
Exports
Exports 2023: $10.691 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $10.123 billion (2022 est.)
Exports - partners
Germany 39%, Serbia 8%, Bulgaria 6%, Greece 5%, Czechia 3% (2023)
Exports - commodities
reaction and catalytic products, insulated wire, electricity, garments, seats (2023)
Imports
Imports 2023: $12.748 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $13.009 billion (2022 est.)
Imports - partners
UK 12%, Germany 10%, Greece 9%, China 9%, Serbia 8% (2023)
Imports - commodities
platinum, refined petroleum, laboratory ceramic ware, cars, natural gas (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $5.015 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $4.12 billion (2022 est.)
Debt - external
Exchange rates
Currency
Exchange rates 2024
Exchange rates 2023
Exchange rates 2022
Exchange rates 2021
Exchange rates 2020
Energy7
Electricity access
Electricity
consumption: 5.896 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 7.081 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 7.232 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 993.662 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar: 4.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 2.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 24% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
consumption: 5.344 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 58,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 41,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 332 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
Natural gas
imports: 347.981 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
Communications6
Telephones - fixed lines
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (2022 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 108 (2024 est.)
Broadcast media
public TV broadcaster Macedonian Radio and Television operates 5 national terrestrial TV channels and 2 satellite TV channels; 11 regional TV stations broadcast nationally; 29 regional and local broadcasters; a large number of cable operators offer domestic and international programming; the public radio broadcaster operates 3 stations; 4 privately owned national radio stations and 60 regional and local operators (2023)
Internet country code
.mk
Internet users
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 28 (2022 est.)
Transportation4
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
Z3
Airports
13 (2025)
Heliports
13 (2025)
Railways
Military & Security6
Military and security forces
Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (ARSM or ARNM): joint force with air, ground, reserve, special operations, and support forces (2025)
Military expenditures
Military Expenditures 2024: 1.9% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 6,000 active military personnel (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the military's inventory is a mix of Russian/Soviet-era armaments and growing quantities of more modern equipment from countries such as Türkiye, the UK, and the US (2025)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2007 (2025)
Military - note
the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (ARSM) is responsible for the defense of the country’s territory and independence, fulfilling North Macedonia’s commitments to NATO and European security, and contributing to EU, NATO, and UN peace and security missions; the ARSM has participated in multinational missions and operations in Afghanistan (NATO), Bosnia and Herzegovina (EU), Eastern Europe (NATO), Iraq (NATO), Kosovo (NATO), and Lebanon (UN); a key area of focus over the past decade has been improving capabilities and bringing the largely Soviet-era-equipped ARSM up to NATO standards; it has increased its participation in NATO training exercises since becoming the 30th member of the Alliance in 2020 and currently has small numbers of combat troops deployed to Bulgaria and Romania as part of NATO’s Enhance Forward Presence mission implemented because of Russian military aggression against Ukraine (2025)
Transnational Issues1
Refugees and internally displaced persons
stateless persons: 159 (2024 est.)
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