Albania continues to struggle with reversing emigration trends, as even highly educated individuals are increasingly leaving the country. During this period, the emigration rate has reached 23%, while the return rate stands at only 3%.

The educated population is abandoning Albania. Research by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) reveals high levels of emigration among educated individuals during 2023–2024, with significantly lower return rates—compared to 38 other countries in the region where the EBRD conducts its studies.

In its recently published Transition Report, the EBRD states that around 23% of Albania’s educated population has emigrated. Only Bosnia, the Palestinian Authority, and Tajikistan rank higher.

The data show that in the 2023–2024 period, 23% of educated individuals left the country, while only 3% of those living abroad returned.

The study highlights that Albania is losing more professionals than it is able to attract. The return rate of professionals remains significantly lower than in other Southeastern European countries. This means Albania is not succeeding in becoming an attractive destination for international talent, while continuously losing skilled individuals to more developed countries.

Other domestic studies have shown that Albanian professionals primarily leave for better job opportunities, significantly higher salaries in EU countries, more stable career markets, and more advanced conditions for research, innovation, and specialization.

Meanwhile, Albania remains largely unattractive to foreign professionals due to its small market size and low competitive wages.