The status of the population in kessab

The first bit of information about the population of Kessab goes back to the middle of the 19th century. According to the Evangelical missionaries in 1848, the town of Kessab included 300 inhabited houses.

The census done by the Rev. Movses Voskerichian in 1911 provides the most accurate information available about Kessab’s population at the time. The census included Kessab and all its surrounding villages without exceptions. According to that survey, the number of the inhabitants of Kessab was 6115 individuals.

At the end of the 19th century, Kessab witnessed a migration movement of the youth towards neighboring Armenian provinces and other foreign countries due to financial difficulties. The emigration process remained on afterwards which badly affected the growth of the population of Kessab.

5000 Kessabtsis were killed during the genocide out of the 8000 Kessabtsis who were forced to move to exile in 1915.
The population of Kessab was estimated to be 2200 individual in 1919.
In 1920, Simon Ayanian, and elementary school teacher, undertook a new census to determine Kessab’s population. His survey excluded Karadouran and Bashord for unknown reasons. According to this survey, the population of Kessab and the surrounding villages except the excluded ones was 2363 individuals of which 779 individuals were living abroad.
In 1921, the population was 2500 individuals.
In 1923, the population was 3500 individuals.
On the 25th of July 1947, 2400 Kessabtsis individuals out of 5100 individuals repatriated to Armenia.
In 1955, the population was 1632 individuals.
In 1993, the population was 1277 individuals.

Today, a significant number of Kessabtsies today live overseas where they have their organizations such as in Lebanon, USA, Canada, UAE and many other counties.
Kessab was merely inhabited by Armenians up until the deportation which took place in 1947. After that, strangers (non-Armenians) started to settle in Kessab. Hitherto, the number of foreigners settling in Kessab has constantly increased to overcome the number of the native Armenian inhabitants.