Both citizens of Albania and Kosovo envision their future outside their countries, according to the latest results of the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Balkan Barometer for the year 2023.
49% of the surveyed Albanians would consider living and working abroad. This percentage has significantly increased compared to the previous year when the indicator was 42%.
Kosovo citizens are the ones most eager to live and work abroad, with 57% of respondents giving this answer.
However, unlike Albania, in Kosovo, the indicator shows a slight improvement of 2 percentage points (from 59% in 2022).
Citizens who consider moving abroad less are those from North Macedonia at 35%, Bosnia and Herzegovina at 38%, Serbia at 41%, and Montenegro at 45%.
The Western Balkans’ average is 44%.
Survey
For the ninth consecutive time, the Regional Cooperation Council publishes the results of the Balkan Barometer – an annual survey conducted with six thousand citizens from across the Western Balkans, providing an overview of their opinions on regional cooperation, EU integration, trust in public institutions and media, their major concerns, employment, climate change, security, digital life, transportation, rule of law, travel, etc.
According to the press release, “The Balkan Barometer reveals three main trends in public opinion in the Western Balkans. First, the good news, 76% of people believe that regional cooperation is good for their economies’ development. Furthermore, 69% agree that what unites the citizens of the Western Balkans is more important than what divides them.
The second news is support for EU integration: it results in 59%, 3% less than in 2021.
And third is the concern about depopulation, as 44% plan to live abroad, 5% more than in 2022. It is also extremely concerning that 71% of young people are considering leaving their country,” said the Secretary-General of the RCC, Majlinda Bregu.
Balkan Barometer 2023, Public Opinion edition, key results:
- 1 in 5 citizens associates the Balkans with hope or cooperation.
- For 15% of citizens, the Balkans mean trust, but for 1 in 10, it means fear.
- 51% are dissatisfied with the economic situation.
- 27% say corruption is the biggest problem.
- 69% say the law is not applied equally to all – 7% more than in 2022.
- 45% feel threatened by the possession and illegal use of arms.
- 71% say the war in Ukraine significantly affected their purchasing power.
- 75% do not trust political parties.
- 65% expressed increased concern about the spread of fake news.
