Montenegro Overview
Montenegro’s population growth is relatively flat, and its estimated population is slightly lower than the 2011 census figure of 625,000. The country has a fairly low population density of just 45 people per square kilometer (125/sq mi).
The capital and largest city is Podgorica (formerly Titograd), which has a population of 156,000, or 30% of Montenegro’s population. The next-largest city is Niksic, with a population of 57,000.
Montenegro Demographics
Montenegro is a very ethnically diverse country and it recognizes several ethnic groups. Major ethnic groups include Montenegrins (45%), Serbs (29%), Bosniaks (8.6%), Albanians (4.9%), Roma (1%), Croats (1%), Serbo-Montenegrins (0.3%), Egyptians (0.3%), and Montenegrins-Serbs (0.3%). The number of Montenegrins and Serbs changes from census to census based on how people experience and express identity.
There are also small groups of Yugoslavs, Russians, Macedonians, Bosnians, Hungarians, Italians and Germans in Montenegro.
The official language is Montenegrin but Croatian, Albanian, Bosnian and Serbian are all common and all mutually intelligible, except for Albanian. The Serbian Orthodox Church has historically been popular in the area, but Serbian Orthodox Christianity is the most popular religion today. Islam does represent a majority in some areas of the country and accounts for 19% of the total population. There are also small groups of Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Buddhists, Protestants, atheists and agnostics.