According to the 1467-68 Ottoman defter, the village had 17 houses, with the inhabitants having a mixed Slavic-Albanian anthroponymy - usually a Slavic first name and an Albanian last name or last names with Albanian patronyms and Slavic suffixes, (e.g Nikolla Arbanas (t.Arnaut); Progon, son of Tanush; Jovan, son of Prenk).[1]
A policy of Turkification of the Albanian population was employed by the Yugoslav authorities in cooperation with the Turkish government, stretching the period of 1948-1959. Starting in 1948, Turkish schools were opened in areas with large Albanian majorities, such as Gorna Banjica.[2]
The Yugoslav census of 1953 recorded 1,072 people of whom 754 were Albanians, 240 Turks, 73 Macedonians and 5 others. The 1961 Yugoslav census recorded 1,108 people of whom 212 were Albanians, 827 Turks, 68 Macedonians and 1 others. The 1971 census recorded 1,267 people of whom 239 were Albanians, 1,003 Turks and 25 Macedonians. The 1981 Yugoslav census recorded 1,611 people of whom 474 were Albanians, 7 Macedonians, 1,118 Turks, 1 Bosniak and 11 others. The Macedonian census of 1994 recorded 1,622 people of whom 422 were Albanians, 1,239 Turks and 1 other.[4]
According to the 2002 census, the village had a total of 4,423 inhabitants.[5] Ethnic groups in the village include:[5]
As of the 2021 census, Gorna Banjica had 3,436 residents with the following ethnic composition:[6]
Turks 1,503
Macedonians 839
Albanians 811
Roma 610
Persons for whom data are taken from administrative sources 107
Others 16
References
^Rexha, Iljaz (2011). "Vendbanimet dhe popullsia albane gjatë mesjetës në hapësirën e Maqedonisë së sotme: Sipas burimeve sllave dhe osmane". Gjurmime Albanologjike: Seria e Shkencave Historike (41–42): 167–218. The names are: Nikolla Arbanas (t.Arnaut); Progon, son of Tanush; Jovan, son of Prenk; Todori, son of Tono; Pron-ko, son of Rale; Marin, son of Stojko; Nik-o Dibrani; Kol-in, son of Bojk-a; Gjon, son of Nikolla; Jovan, son of Nikolla; Vasil, son of Nikolla; Stepan, son of Nikolla; Todori, son of Nikola; Niko, son of Kola; Cvetko, son of Kola; Koljo Domazet; Dimitri, his son.
^Lita, Qerim (2009). "SHPËRNGULJA E SHQIPTARËVE NGA MAQEDONIA NË TURQI (1953-1959)". Studime Albanologjike. ITSH: 75–82.