2021 Edition

Background

North Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991 under the name of "Macedonia." Greek objection 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 the country’s movement toward Euro-Atlantic integration. Immediately after Macedonia declared independence, Greece sought to block Macedonian 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 and negotiations for a solution continued. Over time, 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 a conflict in 2001 that eventually led to the internationally brokered Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the fighting and established guidelines for constitutional amendments and the creation of new laws that enhanced the rights of minorities. In January 2018, the government adopted a new law on languages, which elevated the Albanian language to an official language at the national level, with the Macedonian language remaining the sole official language in international relations. Relations between ethnic Macedonians and ethnic Albanians remain complicated, however. North Macedonia's pro-Western government has used its time in office since 2017 to sign a historic deal with Greece in June 2018 to end the name dispute and revive Skopje's NATO and EU membership prospects. This followed a nearly three-year political crisis that engulfed the country but ended in June 2017 following a six-month-long government formation period after a closely contested election in December 2016. The crisis began after the 2014 legislative and presidential election, and escalated in 2015 when the opposition party began releasing wiretapped material that revealed alleged widespread government corruption and abuse. Although an EU candidate since 2005, North Macedonia has yet to open EU accession negotiations. The country still faces challenges, including fully implementing reforms to overcome years of democratic backsliding and stimulating economic growth and development. In June 2018, Macedonia and Greece signed the Prespa Accord whereby the Republic of Macedonia agreed to change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. Following ratification by both countries, the agreement went in to force on 12 February 2019. North Macedonia signed an accession protocol to become a NATO member state in February 2019.

Area

land

25,433 sq km

total

25,713 sq km

water

280 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Vermont; almost four times the size of Delaware

Climate

warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m

lowest point

Vardar River 50 m

mean elevation

741 m

Geographic coordinates

41 50 N, 22 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

Irrigated land

1,280 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Albania 181 km, Bulgaria 162 km, Greece 234 km, Kosovo 160 km, Serbia 101 km

total

838 km

Land use

agricultural land

44.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 26.5% (2018 est.)

forest

39.8% (2018 est.)

other

15.9% (2018 est.)

Location

Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

high seismic risks

Natural resources

low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

Terrain

mountainous with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River

Age structure

0-14 years

16.16% (male 177,553/female 165,992)

15-24 years

12.65% (male 139,250/female 129,770)

25-54 years

44.47% (male 480,191/female 465,145)

55-64 years

12.55% (male 131,380/female 135,407)

65 years and over

14.17% (male 131,674/female 169,609) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

10.55 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.9% (2018/19)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

59.9% (2018/19)

Current Health Expenditure

6.6% (2018)

Death rate

9.65 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

20.9

potential support ratio

4.8 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

44.5

youth dependency ratio

23.6

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 98.9% of population

improved: total

total: 99.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.6% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.2% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Romani 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 est.)

note

note: North Macedonia has not conducted a census since 2002; Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 6.5–13% of North Macedonia’s population

HIV/AIDS - deaths

300 (2018 est.)

Hospital bed density

4.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

6.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

8.46 deaths/1,000 live births

total

7.49 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

Macedonian (official) 66.5%, Albanian (official) 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Romani 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other (includes Aromanian (Vlach) and Bosnian) 1.8% (2002 est.); note - minority languages are co-official with Macedonian in municipalities where they are spoken by at least 20% of the population; Albanian is co-official in Tetovo, Brvenica, Vrapciste, and other municipalities; Turkish is co-official in Centar Zupa and Plasnica; Romani is co-official in Suto Orizari; Aromanian is co-official in Krusevo; Serbian is co-official in Cucer Sandevo

major-language sample(s)

Книга на Светски Факти, неопходен извор на основни информации. (Macedonian)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.84 years (2021 est.)

male

74.47 years

total population

76.59 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.6% (2020)

male

99.1%

total population

98.4%

Major urban areas - population

601,000 SKOPJE (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

7 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

40 years (2020 est.)

male

38 years

total

39 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

27 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Macedonian

noun

Macedonian(s)

Net migration rate

0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.4% (2016)

Physicians density

2.87 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

2,128,262 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

Population growth rate

0.13% (2021 est.)

Religions

Macedonian Orthodox 64.8%, Muslim 33.3%, other Christian 0.4%, other and unspecified 1.5% (2002 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 97.9% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 17.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 9.1% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.8% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2018)

male

13 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.07 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.07 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.03 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.78 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.51 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

40% (2020 est.)

male

35.2%

total

37%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.61% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

58.8% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

70 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina) and 1 city* (grad); Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Caska, Centar Zupa, Cesinovo-Oblesevo, Cucer Sandevo, Debar, Debarca, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rostusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Skopje*, Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vrapciste, Zelenikovo, Zelino, Zrnovci

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

Skopje derives from its ancient name Scupi, the Latin designation of a classical era Greco-Roman frontier fortress town; the name may go back even further to a pre-Greek, Illyrian name

geographic coordinates

42 00 N, 21 26 E

name

Skopje

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

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

Constitution

amendments

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; amended several times, last in 2019

history

several previous; latest adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of North Macedonia

conventional short form

North Macedonia

etymology

the country name derives from the ancient kingdom of Macedon (7th to 2nd centuries B.C.)

former

Democratic Federal Macedonia, People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Macedonia

local long form

Republika Severna Makedonija

local short form

Severna Makedonija

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Kate Marie BYRNES (since 12 July 2019)

email address and website

SkopjeACS@state.govhttps://mk.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Str. Samoilova, Nr. 21, 1000 Skopje

FAX

[389] (2) 310-2499

mailing address

7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120

telephone

[389] (2) 310-2000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2129 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Vilma PETKOVSKA, Minister Counselor (since 16 March 2020)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Detroit, New York

email address and website

washington@mfa.gov.mk

FAX

[1] (202) 667-2131

telephone

[1] (202) 667-0501

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers elected by the Assembly by simple majority vote

chief of state

President Stevo PENDAROVSKI (since 12 May 2019)

election results

Stevo PENDAROVSKI elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Stevo PENDAROVSKI (SDSM) 44.8%, Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA (VMRO-DPMNE) 44.2%, Blenim REKA (independent) 11.1%; percent of vote in second round - Stevo PENDAROVSKI 53.6%, Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA 46.4%

elections/appointments

president directly elected using a modified 2-round system; a candidate can only be elected in the first round with an absolute majority from all registered voters; in the second round, voter turnout must be at least 40% for the result to be deemed valid; president elected for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 April and 5 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Assembly; Zoran ZAEV reelected prime minister by the Assembly on 31 August 2020; Assembly vote - 62 for, 51 against

head of government

Prime Minister Zoran ZAEV (since 31 August 2020); note - Prime Minister ZAEV resigned on 3 January 2019 but was reelected by the Assembly on 31 August 2020 (62-51) following the delayed Assembly general election on 15 July 2020

Flag description

a yellow sun (the Sun of Liberty) with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of the red field; the red and yellow colors have long been associated with Macedonia

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsed independence from Yugoslavia)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

Judicial branch

highest courts

Supreme Court (consists of 22 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)

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

Legal system

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Assembly - Sobraine in Macedonian, Kuvend in Albanian (between 120 and 140 seats, currently 120; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote; possibility of 3 directly elected in diaspora constituencies by simple majority vote provided there is sufficient voter turnout; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party/coalition - We Can 35.9%, Renewal 34.6%, BDI 11.5%, AfA-Alternative 9%, The Left 4.1%, PDSh 1.5%, other 3.4%; seats by party/coalition - We Can 46, Renewal 44, BDI 15, AfA-Alternative 12, The Left 2, PDSh 1

elections

last election was to be held on 12 April 2020 but was postponed until 15 July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic (next to be held in 2024)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Vlado MALESKI/Todor SKALOVSKI

name

"Denes nad Makedonija" (Today Over Macedonia)

note

note: written in 1943 and adopted in 1991, the song previously served as the anthem of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia while part of Yugoslavia

National holiday

Independence Day, 8 September (1991), also known as National Day

National symbol(s)

eight-rayed sun; national colors: red, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Albanians or AfA [Ziadin SELA]Alternative (Alternativa) [Afrim GASHI]Besa Movement [Bilal KASAMI]Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSh [Menduh THACI]Democratic Union for Integration or BDI [Ali AHMETI]Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Hristijan MICKOSKI]Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - People's Party or VMRO-NP [Ljubco GEORGIEVSKI]Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Goran MILEVSKI]Renewal (VMRO-DPMNE coalition)Social Democratic Union of Macedonia or SDSM [Dimitar KOVACHEVSKI]The Left (Levica) [Dimitar APASIEV]Turkish Democratic Party of DPT [Beycan ILYAS]We Can (coalition includes SDSM/Besa/VMRO-NP, DPT, LDP)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, grapes, wheat, potatoes, green chillies/peppers, cabbages, tomatoes, maize, barley, watermelons

Budget

expenditures

3.605 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

3.295 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BB+ (2019)

Standard & Poors rating

BB- (2013)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$293 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$151 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$9.398 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$9.065 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

Since its independence in 1991, Macedonia has made progress in liberalizing its economy and improving its business environment. Its low tax rates and free economic zones have helped to attract foreign investment, which is still low relative to the rest of Europe. Corruption and weak rule of law remain significant problems. Some businesses complain of opaque regulations and unequal enforcement of the law.   Macedonia’s economy is closely linked to Europe as a customer for exports and source of investment, and has suffered as a result of prolonged weakness in the euro zone. Unemployment has remained consistently high at about 23% but may be overstated based on the existence of an extensive gray market, estimated to be between 20% and 45% of GDP, which is not captured by official statistics.   Macedonia is working to build a country-wide natural gas pipeline and distribution network. Currently, Macedonia receives its small natural gas supplies from Russia via Bulgaria. In 2016, Macedonia signed a memorandum of understanding with Greece to build an interconnector that could connect to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline that will traverse the region once complete, or to an LNG import terminal in Greece.   Macedonia maintained macroeconomic stability through the global financial crisis by conducting prudent monetary policy, which keeps the domestic currency pegged to the euro, and inflation at a low level. However, in the last two years, the internal political crisis has hampered economic performance, with GDP growth slowing in 2016 and 2017, and both domestic private and public investments declining. Fiscal policies were lax, with unproductive public expenditures, including subsidies and pension increases, and rising guarantees for the debt of state owned enterprises, and fiscal targets were consistently missed. In 2017, public debt stabilized at about 47% of GDP, still relatively low compared to its Western Balkan neighbors and the rest of Europe.

Exchange rates

currency

Macedonian denars (MKD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

46.437 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

55.537 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

55.733 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

55.733 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

55.8 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$7.61 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$7.78 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$7.18 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

support catalysts, centrifuges, insulated wiring, vehicle parts, buses, seats (2019)

Exports - partners

Germany 45%, Serbia 8%, Bulgaria 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

54% (2017 est.)

government consumption

15.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

65.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-69% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

13.6% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

20.2% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

10.9% (2017 est.)

industry

26.6% (2017 est.)

services

62.5% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$12.696 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

35.2 (2014)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

34.2 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

25% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%

1.7%

Imports

Imports 2018

$9.23 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$9.6 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$8.76 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Imports - commodities

platinum, refined petroleum, laboratory ceramics, cars, insulated wiring (2019)

Imports - partners

United Kingdom 14%, Germany 14%, Greece 8%, Serbia 8% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-7.8% (2017 est.)

Industries

food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, iron, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceuticals, automotive parts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.3% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

1.4% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

0.7% (2019 est.)

Labor force

793,000 (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

16.2%

industry

29.2%

services

54.5% (2017 est.)

Population below poverty line

21.6% (2018 est.)

Public debt

note

note: official data from Ministry of Finance; data cover central government debt; this data excludes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; includes treasury debt held by foreign entitites; excludes debt issued by sub-national entities; there are no debt instruments sold for social funds

Public debt 2016

39.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

39.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars; Macedonia has a large informal sector that may not be reflected in these data

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$33.52 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$34.59 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$33.02 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

3.9% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

2.9% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

0% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$16,100 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$16,600 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$15,800 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$2.755 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$2.802 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

29% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2018

20.7% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate 2019

17.29% (2019 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

40% (2020 est.)

male

35.2%

total

37%

Crude oil - exports

142 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

6.42 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

58.5 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

60% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

37% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

2.191 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.828 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

5.396 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Natural gas - consumption

198.2 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

198.2 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (31 December 2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

21,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

3,065 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

23,560 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

21.41 (2019 est.)

total

454,300

Broadcast media

public service TV broadcaster Macedonian Radio and Television operates 3 national terrestrial TV channels and 2 satellite TV channels; additionally, there are 10 regional TV stations that broadcast nationally using terrestrial transmitters, 54 TV channels with concession for cable TV, 9 regional TV stations with concessions for cable TV; 4 satellite TV channels broadcasting on a national level, 21 local commercial TV channels, and a large number of cable operators that offer domestic and international programming; the public radio broadcaster operates over 3 stations; there are 4 privately owned radio stations that broadcast nationally; 17 regional radio stations, and 49 local commercial radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.mk

Internet users

percent of population

81.41% (2020 est.)

total

1.71 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line 19 per 100 and mobile-cellular 99 per 100 subscriptions (2019)

general assessment

EU pre-accession process has led to stronger tele-density with a closer regulatory framework and independent regulators; administrative ties with the EU have led to progress; broadband services are widely available; more customers moving to fiber networks; operators investing in LTE; importer of broadcasting equipment from Vietnam and China; MOU for 5G with US (2020)

international

country code - 389

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18.87 (2019 est.)

total subscriptions

400,454

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

90.51 (2019 est.)

total subscriptions

1,921,013

Airports

total

10 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

total

8

under 914 m

6 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m

1

total

2

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Z3

Pipelines

262 km gas, 120 km oil (2017)

Railways

standard gauge

925 km 1.435-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2017)

total

925 km (2017)

Roadways

paved

9,633 km (2017)

total

14,182 km (includes 290 km of expressways) (2017)

unpaved

4,549 km (2017)

Military - note

North Macedonia officially became the 30th member of NATO in 2020

Military and security forces

Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (ARSM; includes a General Staff and subordinate Operations Command, Logistic Support Command, Training and Doctrine Command, Center for Electronic Reconnaissance, Aviation Brigade, and Honor Guard Battalion) (2021)

note

note - the Operations Command includes air, ground, special operations, support, and reserve forces

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (ARSM) has approximately 7,500 active duty personnel (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the inventory of North Macedonia's Army consists mostly of Soviet-era equipment; since 2010, it has received small amounts of equipment from Ireland and Turkey (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2017

0.89% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

0.94% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.16% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.27% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.57% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2007 (2021)

Disputes - international

Kosovo and North Macedonia completed demarcation of their boundary in September 2008

Illicit drugs

major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe; although not a financial center and most criminal activity is thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement

Refugees and internally displaced persons

note

note: 524,176 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-November 2021)

stateless persons

558 (2020)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

7.05 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

2.28 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

28.34 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall

Environment - current issues

air pollution from metallurgical plants; Skopje has severe air pollution problems every winter as a result of industrial emissions, smoke from wood-buring stoves, and exhaust fumes from old cars

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

44.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 26.5% (2018 est.)

forest

39.8% (2018 est.)

other

15.9% (2018 est.)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.15% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

6.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

329,217,707.7 cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

225,809,581.6 cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

277.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.61% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

58.8% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

796,585 tons (2016 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

1,434 tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

0.2% (2013 est.)