The FYROM had an around population of 2,046,209 in 2001, with an average population density of 80 persons per sq km.Some 62 % of the population lives in urban areas, mainly in the 5 largest cities: the capital Skopje, Bitola, Prilep, Kumanovo, and Tetovo.The FYROM has one of the most complex ethnic populations in Europe. In a census taken under international control in 1994, people who identified themselves as Macedonian Slavs made up 67% of the population.

Since the end of the Second World War, Macedonia's population has grown steadily, with the greatest increases occurring in the ethnic Albanian community.The western part of the nation, where most ethnic Albanians live, is the most heavily populated, with around 40% of the total population. As the population grew, more people moved into the cities in search of employment. Comparing 1948 census results to the 1994 recording, the urban population grew from 28.7% to 58.4% of the population.