North Macedonia

The population is mostly ethnic Macedonian, a South Slavic people, with a large ethnic Albanian minority — roughly a quarter of the population — concentrated in the west, plus smaller groups. Both Macedonian and Albanian have official status.

Macedonians are predominantly Orthodox Christian, while the Albanian minority is largely Muslim.

Society

North Macedonia has widespread literacy but faces emigration of young workers and a slowly declining population, pressures common across the Balkans.