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Regional isolation, 22% of Balkan citizens do not travel to neighbors at all

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The highest level in the region/ 44% of Albanians want to emigrate in 2025

2025-12-17 07:22:08, Aktualitet CNA

In 2025, Albania appears as the country with the highest level of desire for emigration in the Region, according to Balkan Barometer data.

A full 44% of respondents stated that they would like to go live or work abroad, a percentage that places our country above the regional average and above all other economies included in the survey and on par with North Macedonia.

Kosovo and Bosnia, on the other hand, have somewhat lower levels of desire to emigrate at 35 and 34 percent each, but still at high levels compared to other European countries.

Albania stands out from the Region, not only for the intensity of the trend towards emigration, but also for the deep and long-term nature of the phenomenon.

The situation is even more worrying as Albania, along with Serbia, has high percentages of its population that will leave the country permanently with no plans to return. In Albania, this percentage is among the highest in the Region at 18%, which shows that for many citizens emigration is considered a final solution for life.

The reasons why Albania leads the region are closely linked to economic and social factors. The large differences in wages and living standards with European Union countries remain a strong driver, especially for young people and qualified professionals. These differences, combined with limited opportunities within the country for good jobs and professional development, create the belief that personal and economic development is more achievable abroad.

Strong emigration in the past is becoming a strong basis for increased departures in the future. The consolidated networks of Albanian emigration, built over the years, are playing a strong role and are making it easier to attract family members.

Due to high emigration, Albania's population is shrinking at much higher rates, almost two to three times more than in other countries in the Region, according to updated data from Eurostat on the population of candidate countries.

In 2025, Albania's official population was 2,363,314 inhabitants with a contraction of about 27,628 people within one year, while in relative terms the decline was –1.2%, the highest rate in the region.

The strong contraction in the age group up to 30 years old is mainly due to high emigration, which continues to be among the highest in Europe.

Internal data show that the population aged 15-29, which represents the group of young people active in migration, shrank by 45 percent between 2011 and 2025.

Albania also has the lowest birth rate in its transition history with a fertility rate of around 1.2 children per woman of childbearing age, well below replacement level and among the lowest in Europe. /Monitor