The fiscal system and administrative fees are becoming a burden for the citizens of the Western Balkans, but in Albania this pressure seems to have affected the broader population, according to the "Securimetri 2025" survey conducted by the Regional Cooperation Council.
The data shows that in Albania, around 75% of citizens estimate that taxes and fees increase their cost of living by 10% to 50% of their monthly income. Specifically, the group that declares that public duties take up 21-30% of their monthly income is the highest in the region, with 30% of respondents, leaving behind the Western Balkans average of 25%.
This figure shows that, unlike their neighbors, Albanians feel the burden of public obligations as an expense that dictates their monthly well-being. Only 13% of Albanians think that the state takes less than 10% of their living costs, the lowest level in the region after Serbia.
This means that for almost a third of the population in Albania, payments to public institutions take up a fairly significant portion of the family budget, exceeding the regional average.
Kosovo appears as an economy with the lightest burden on its citizens. Around 17% of its citizens feel the burden of public payments below 10%, a more positive indicator than in Albania.
Serbia has the highest percentage of citizens declaring extreme costs, with 11% of citizens claiming to spend 50% of their monthly income on the state, while in Albania this category is almost negligible at 3%. This indicates that the Serbian system may be more aggressive towards higher income groups, while the Albanian system more broadly targets the middle class.
North Macedonia leads the region with 36% of respondents paying 10-20% of their monthly income, ranking very close to Albania in terms of perception of moderate burden.
For Albania, the figures show a high sensitivity to public financial obligations, including water, energy bills and other taxes and fees. A significant portion of the population claimed that these costs significantly erode their monthly income./ Monitor
