LDP: Fewer first-graders is an alarm — North Macedonia is emptying

Published: 6 August 2026, 14:26. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) issued a sharp criticism after the education minister said this school year would have at least 3,000 fewer first-grade pupils, calling the development more than a statistic and a signal that the country is rapidly losing population.

LDP warned that a continuous drop in the number of children entering school undermines the future workforce and the country's prospects. The party linked the decline to flawed policies, economic insecurity, lack of trust in institutions and an absence of long-term vision.

In a strongly worded passage the party said: "While the minister tries to present the state graduation exam as a success, the real question is: whom will we teach tomorrow, if every year we have thousands fewer children?"

Party demands national strategy

LDP argued that the fall in first-grade enrolment cannot be treated as a mere figure in a report and urged immediate political action. The party called for an urgent national strategy for demographic renewal, targeted measures to support young people and policies that would create conditions for citizens to remain and build their future at home.

Party officials warned that each annual cohort with fewer first-graders means fewer young people in the future and a smaller labour force — trends that, if unaddressed, will weaken North Macedonia's long-term prospects.

The statement from LDP was circulated to media outlets on 6 August 2026 at 14:26, reflecting the party's demand that the government stop treating demographic change as a technicality and start drafting concrete measures.

Photo: press material from the event