The objective of this work was to determine how aggregate properties affect the shrinkage of concrete during drying. This was determined by measuring the deformations due to shrinkage of concrete made with different types of aggregates. The main properties of concrete and aggregate and the shrinkage of concrete were described in the first part of the paper. In the experimental part of the paper, the effect of Young's modulus, aggregate type, water absorption and density on the shrinkage of concrete was determined. They were found to have no effect on the shrinkage of the concrete. Moreover, the specific surface areas of the aggregates determined by the method BET were presented with both nitrogen and aerated water - and the values determined with H 2 O were higher, which is why they were used in the experiment. The experimental results indicate that a higher specific surface of the aggregates increases the shrinkage of the concrete. It was also found that the specific surface areas of aggregates determined by the water vapour method are an effective index to determine the influence of aggregate properties on the drying shrinkage of concrete.