The demographic history of Montenegro can be shown through census results and official documents which mention demographic composition.

Duklja, today's southern half of Montenegro, under Stefan Vojislav, was inhabited by Serbs.^[1]

Various documents listed that the inhabitants of Medieval Doclea or Zeta were Serbs, but also minor populations of Latins, Albanians and Vlachs. The language in usage was primarily the Old Slavonic, while in the early stages Latin also had importance and Greek to an extent among the high-class members of the society.

Between the 15th and 17th century, Montenegro had little history on paper. During these years, hundreds of families from Montenegro moved to Rascia which Serbs left to sought refuge in Habsburg Monarchy.

Mariano Bolizza of Kotor was a public servant of the Republic of Venice. The main objective of his 1614 report and description of the Sanjak of Shkodra was to provide information on the land routes which could best be utilized by local couriers conveying official correspondence from Venice to Constantinople and back, and to survey the military potential of the territory. He provided a very detailed overview of towns and villages in Montenegro and northern Albania in the early 17th century. The report concluded a religious Orthodox majority, while an Albanian minority was present in the Shkodra region.^[2]

The ethnic composition in the 18th century was clear among the Slavs;

• In a letter to Justinian Bert in 1756, Montenegrin chieftains said: "We are of the Orthodox Christian faith and law of the Eastern Church, of the honorable and glorious Slav-Serb kin".
• Jovan Stefanov Balevic, of the Bratonožić clan, who later became a major in the Russian army, wrote "A brief and objective description of the present state of Montenegro"^[3] in St. Petersburg in 1757, where it said: "All inhabitants of Montenegro are ethnically Slav-Serbs and confessionally Greek-Orthodox . As they are incompetent in some skills, because of their lack of school, they are naturally capable, especially with weapons."; "The number of Montenegrin warriors who live free on the peaks of Montenegro, called by Turks disobedient, does not exceed 5000."; "There are no artisans and schools in Montenegro except at the Cetinje monastery, within the archbishop's residence, where priests learn reading and writing in the Slav-Serb language, which is financed by the archbishop."; "Montenegrins count among themselves neighbouring Slav-Serbs of different provenience: Kuči, Bratonožići, Donji and Gornji Vasojevići, Piperi, Rovčani, Moračani, Bjelopavlići, who are Serbian Orthodox but Ottoman citizens. They, also, count Roman Catholics: Hoti, Kelmendi, Gruda, Tuzi, Skrivali, Huzi, Maltezi, Kastrati and others who outnumber Montenegrins."^[3]
• Metropolitan Sava called his people, the Montenegrins, by the "Serbian nation" (1766).^[4]
• In June 1789, Montenegrin Chieftains, wrote to Russian Empress Katarina II, in the name of the entire Serb Montenegrin community: "We Serbs Montenegrins hope that we shall not be left without help" and "If we could have organization and munition, we would liberate our glorious Serb lands entirely from the Barbarian yoke (Ottoman Empire), together with our armed Serb brothers who aim to attack this enemy from all sides."

• According to the census conducted in 1863 and 1864, the Principality of Montenegro had a total of 196.230 inhabitants, 99.889 male and 96.339 female.^[5]
• Bernard Schwartz estimated in 1882 that the Princedom of Montenegro had 160,000 inhabitants. Although, a more usual estimate is that it was around 230,000 inhabitants.

• Religious structure of Montenegro by settlements 1862
• Religious structure of Montenegro by settlements 1880

In 1900, according to international sources, the Principality of Montenegro had 311,564 inhabitants. By religion:

• 293,527 Orthodox Christians (94.21%)
• 12,493 Muslims (4.01%)
• 5,544 Roman Catholic Christians (1.78%)

By literacy:

• 77% illiterate
• 71,528 (23%) literate

The Princedom had around 5,000 Albanians and a colony of 800 Romani.

In 1905 there were 6,674 emigrants, mostly to the United States.

In 1906 there were 4,346 emigrants, mostly to the United States.

In 1907 it has been estimated that there were around 282,000 inhabitants in Montenegro this year.

The 1909 official census was made based on religious affiliation of population of Principality of Montenegro.

Total: 317,856 inhabitants. By religion:

• Eastern Orthodox Christians: 94.38%
• others (mostly Muslims)

• Religious structure of Montenegro by settlements 1913
• Religious structure of Montenegro by settlements 1914

In 1918 Montenegro entered the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1921 it organised a census which recorded the mother tongue and religion. A category called Serbian or Croatian was to include all respondents who termed their mother tongue as Serbian.^{[citation needed]} In the counties Andrijevica, Bar, Kolasin, Niksic, Podgorica and Cetinje, which are categorized in official statistics as Montenegro, there were:

Total: 199,227 inhabitants

• Serbo-Croatian: 181,989 (91.35%)
• Albanian: 16,838 (8.45%)

The counties Berane and Bijelo Polje, which are today in Montenegro, were considered counties of Old Serbia:

• Berane, total 23,864 inhabitants, Serbs 23,561 or (98.73%)
• Bijelo Polje, total 26,147 inhabitants, Serbs 26,136 (99.96%)

The 1931 census was also taken by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia but was later processed in Communist Yugoslavia. Results within today's borders of Montenegro were:

• Linguistic structure of Montenegro by settlements 1931
• Religious structure of Montenegro by settlements 1931

In 1945, after the World War II, Communist Yugoslavia was formed, and Montenegro was proclaimed as one of its constituent republics. The 1948 and following censa were taken by the Republic of Montenegro.

• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by counties and cities 1948
• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by counties and cities 1948

This census witnesses the forming of the Yugoslav nation.

• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by counties and cities 1953
• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by counties and cities 1953

The 1961 census results:

• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by settlements 1961
• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by settlements 1961
• Share of Montenegrins in Montenegro by settlements 1961
• Share of Serbs in Montenegro by settlements 1961
• Share of Muslims in Montenegro by settlements 1961
• Share of Albanians in Montenegro by settlements 1961
• Share of Croats in Montenegro by settlements 1961
• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by municipalities 1961
• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by municipalities 1961

In 1968 the Communist Yugoslav government introduced a new category, ethnic Muslims.

• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by settlements 1971
• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by settlements 1971
• Share of Montenegrins in Montenegro by settlements 1971
• Share of Serbs in Montenegro by settlements 1971
• Share of Muslims in Montenegro by settlements 1971
• Share of Albanians in Montenegro by settlements 1971
• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by municipalities 1971
• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by municipalities 1971

The 1981 census results:

Total: 584,310 inhabitants

• Montenegrins: 400,488 (68.54%)
• ethnic Muslims: 78,080 (13.36%)
• Albanians: 37,735 (6.46%)
• Yugoslavs: 31,243 (5.35%)
• Serbs: 19,407 (3.32%)
• Croats: 6,904 (1.81%)
• Roma: 1,471 (0.25%)
• Macedonian: 875 (0.15%)
• Slovenes: 564 (0.1%)
• Hungarians: 238 (0.04%)
• Germans: 107 (0.02%)
• Russians: 96 (0.02%)
• Italians: 45 (0.01%)
• Other: 816 (0.14%)
• No response: 301 (0.05%)
• Regional affiliation: 1,602 (0.27%)
• Unknown: 4,338 (0.74%)

• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by settlements 1981
• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by settlements 1981
• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by settlements 1981
• Share of Montenegrins in Montenegro by settlements 1981
• Share of Serbs in Montenegro by settlements 1981
• Share of Muslims in Montenegro by settlements 1981
• Share of Albanians in Montenegro by settlements 1981
• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by municipalities 1981
• Ethnic structure of Montenegro by municipalities 1981

The 1991 census results:

Total: 615,035 inhabitants

The 2003 census was undertaken by authorities in Montenegro, which at this time, together with Serbia, constituted Serbia and Montenegro.

Total: 620,145

Total: 620,029

• Demographics of Montenegro
• Montenegrins

• Montenegrin Census' from 1909 to 2003
• The Ethnic Structure of the Population in Montenegro
• "Petar I Petrovic' - DJELA" publisher CID Podgorica 1999 year, printed by "Vojna tamparija" - Beograd
• "Statistički Godišnjak 2006" - Statistical Office of Montenegro