Structure of the Rural and Urban Population in Gjirokastra Circuit and Its Changes during the Twenty Years, from 1989 to 2009.

Between 1989 and 2009, the rural exodus—mass migration from villages to urban centers—drove significant demographic shifts in Gjirokastra District. Urban population growth surged primarily due to internal migration, despite low natural growth rates. International emigration mitigated this trend, yet local data reveal a stark contrast: while urban areas expanded, rural populations declined sharply. The study’s analysis of migration dynamics underscores how contemporary industrialization and urbanization are reshaping settlement patterns in Albania’s UNESCO-listed Gjirokastra Circuit.

Duri, V., Sherifi, M., & Boboli, I. (2013). Structure of the Rural and Urban Population in Gjirokastra Circuit and Its Changes during the Twenty Years, from 1989 to 2009. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n13p275