The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 25,710 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Kosovo: 0 km (2026 edition) · North Macedonia: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
North Macedonia’s highest peak towers 108 m above Kosovo’s.
Kosovo: 2,656 m (2026 edition) · North Macedonia: 2,764 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
North Macedonia has 15% more people than Kosovo.
Kosovo: 1.58 million (2025) · North Macedonia: 1.82 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 72 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 176.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 160.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in North Macedonia is 8.8 years older than in Kosovo.
Kosovo: 31.4 years (2023) · North Macedonia: 40.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Kosovo have 0.1 more children on average than in North Macedonia.
Kosovo: 1.54 children per woman (2024) · North Macedonia: 1.4 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
19% of people in North Macedonia are 65 or older, versus 11% in Kosovo.
Kosovo: 10.5% (2025) · North Macedonia: 18.5% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
North Macedonia has produced 5.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Kosovo 0.0.
Kosovo: 0 (2025) · North Macedonia: 5.5 (2025)
How many official languages?
Kosovo has 2 official languages, North Macedonia 1.
Kosovo: 2 (2026) · North Macedonia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
North Macedonia’s economy is 53% larger than Kosovo’s.
Kosovo: $12.5 billion (2025) · North Macedonia: $19.1 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
North Macedonia produces 46% more per person than Kosovo.
Kosovo: Int$19,263 (2025) · North Macedonia: Int$28,029 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Kosovo than in North Macedonia (Gini 4.8 points higher).
Kosovo: 38.3 (2022) · North Macedonia: 33.5 (2019)
How many people are looking for work?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 12.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
North Macedonia spends 2.1% of its GDP on the military, Kosovo 1.5%.
Kosovo: 1.5% (2024) · North Macedonia: 2.1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Kosovo’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× North Macedonia’s.
Kosovo: 41% (2025) · North Macedonia: 37% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: $639 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Kosovo live 1.6 years longer than in North Macedonia.
Kosovo: 78.2 years (2024) · North Macedonia: 76.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Kosovo is 3.2 times as likely to die before turning one as in North Macedonia.
Kosovo: 8 per 1,000 (2024) · North Macedonia: 2.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 2.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 31.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 39.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Kosovo rate their lives 1.19 points higher than in North Macedonia.
Kosovo: 6.91 (2025) · North Macedonia: 5.72 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 6.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 51.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 3,476 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 1,949 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 10.2 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 0.46 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
93% of people in North Macedonia are online, versus 89% in Kosovo.
Kosovo: 89% (2018) · North Macedonia: 93% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
63% of people in North Macedonia live in cities, versus 51% in Kosovo.
Kosovo: 51% (2025) · North Macedonia: 63% (2025)
How many phones per person?
North Macedonia has 108 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Kosovo 35.
Kosovo: 35 (2022) · North Macedonia: 108 (2024)
How much railway is there?
North Macedonia’s railway network is 56% longer than Kosovo’s.
Kosovo: 437 km (2020) · North Macedonia: 683 km (2021)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 39.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Kosovo emits 32% more CO₂ than someone in North Macedonia.
Kosovo: 4.8 t (2024) · North Macedonia: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
47% of North Macedonia’s electricity is renewable, versus 11% in Kosovo.
Kosovo: 11% (2025) · North Macedonia: 47.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in North Macedonia carries 30% more fine dust than in Kosovo.
Kosovo: 15.9 µg/m³ (2024) · North Macedonia: 20.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 24% more likely to be murdered in Kosovo than in North Macedonia.
Kosovo: 1.9 per 100k (2021) · North Macedonia: 1.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Kosovo: no data · North Macedonia: 5.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
North Macedonia is on average 0.5 °C warmer than Kosovo.
Kosovo: 11.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · North Macedonia: 12°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Kosovo gets 10% more rain than North Macedonia.
Kosovo: 876 mm (2016–2025 avg) · North Macedonia: 796 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Which has more people, Kosovo or North Macedonia?
North Macedonia has 15% more people than Kosovo (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Kosovo or North Macedonia?
People in Kosovo live 1.6 years longer than in North Macedonia. Life expectancy at birth is 78.2 years in Kosovo and 76.6 in North Macedonia.
