North Macedonia to Close 26 Primary Schools as Falling Birth Rates Hit Rural Education

North Macedonia will close 26 primary schools across the country from September 1, mainly in rural areas, as the number of schoolchildren continues to decline.

 

Education Minister Vesna Janevska said around 3,000 fewer primary school students have enrolled for the new academic year compared with last year. She said the reorganization will continue based on demographic trends and teaching needs.

“It is not good for any school to close, but this is a reorganization for the benefit of the children,” Janevska said, explaining that pupils from very small rural schools will be transferred to nearby schools to improve their socialization and learning conditions.

150 Schools Closed in a Decade

The government says declining enrollment is also forcing schools to merge classes. So far, 190 classes have been merged, while Janevska said no teachers have lost their jobs as a result.

The scale of the demographic decline is significant. According to the State Statistical Office, the number of primary school students fell from 182,124 in 2023/24 to 174,040 in 2025/26 — a decline of more than 8,000 students, or 4.4%, in just two years.

In the last academic year alone, primary school enrollment dropped by 6,587 students, or 3.6%.

Overall, 150 primary schools have closed across North Macedonia over the past decade, with rural communities bearing much of the impact.

The figures point to a deeper demographic challenge: fewer children are not only changing the country's education system, but increasingly reshaping the future of its rural communities.