City of Skopje

Skopje is the capital of North Macedonia, located in the central part of the Skopje valley, in the upper part of the river Vardar. Skopje Valley is a physical-geographical unit, which is enclosed by mountain massifs by all sides, influenced by the mixed Continental Mediterranean climate. According to the data, Skopje is the largest and fastest growing city in the country. Based on the last official count from 2021, Skopje has a population of 526,502 inhabitants. The city of Skopje belongs to the Skopje region, which covers the Skopje valley basin with a total area of 1,812 km2 and is the smallest of the 8 regions in North Macedonia. The population density is four times the average of the country. 90 % of the population in the region is concentrated in the city of Skopje or 29 % of the total population in the country. The City is the main traffic center in the country, situated at an intersection of two main European transport corridors (VIII and X). The socio-economic characteristics of the area are also typical of an urban transition area with strong internal migration and daily travelling to workplaces. The main environmental challenges are: decreasing air pollution, combating Climate Change, waste management in compliance with EU Directives, increasing green areas and building a healthy, flexible, mobile and sustainable city, which provides good living conditions and prosperity to its citizens. In that regard, the vision of the Mayor of Skopje is to establish a sustainable environment based on knowledge, innovation and a highly qualified, environmentally-aware and creative workforce that, using best world practices, creates conditions for a good quality of life, long-term success and continuous expansion of green urban spaces. Skopje is an inclusive, prosperous, ecologically oriented, economically viable and sustainable environment for the current and future generations.