Albania continues to have one of the lowest levels of doctors relative to population in the Western Balkans, remaining far below the European Union average.
According to data from the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) for 2025, Albania had 22.7 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants, or only 53% of the European Union average. Compared to countries in the region, Albania is behind only Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the difference with other countries is considerable.
North Macedonia has the highest number of doctors per 10,000 inhabitants, with 33.8, followed by Serbia with 32.3 and Montenegro with 27.9. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, this indicator is 21.1 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants, while in Kosovo it drops to 19, the lowest level in the region.
The difference is particularly large with North Macedonia, which has about 49% more doctors per capita than Albania. Serbia also has about 42% more doctors per population.
The gap becomes more apparent when compared to the European Union. According to wiiw, North Macedonia reaches 79% of the European average, Serbia at 76% and Montenegro at 65%. Albania remains at 53%, while Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo reach 49% and 44% of the EU average, respectively.
Data for 2025 also evidence a deterioration in Albania's relative position compared to the European average, with a decrease of 0.9 percentage points compared to the previous year.
The deterioration is strongest in Kosovo, by 3.8 percentage points, and in North Macedonia, by 2 percentage points. Montenegro has recorded a decline of 1.1 percentage points, Serbia by 1 point and Bosnia and Herzegovina by 0.1 percentage points.
All six Western Balkan countries have lost ground relative to the EU average during 2025, widening the gap in medical personnel.
For Albania, the low level of doctors in relation to the population remains a challenge for the health system, especially in ensuring access to services and meeting the population's growing needs for medical care.
Although the number of doctors per capita is not the only indicator of the quality of healthcare services, the large difference with the European average reflects the need to strengthen human capacities in this sector./Monitor.al/
