Around 76% of Albanian citizens declare that the main reason for emigration is to obtain higher income, directly linking leaving the country to better economic opportunities abroad.
The latest OECD report highlights that employment and wages are the dominant factors that encourage citizens to leave Albania, whether for a short-term period or to live abroad permanently.
According to the same report, lack of meritocracy and nepotism constitute another strong reason for emigration, mentioned by 32% of respondents. Also, 28% of citizens link leaving with the desire for a better future for their children.
In the region, Kosovo leads with the highest level of emigration for economic reasons – 85%, while Bosnia and North Macedonia share a similar percentage to Albania, where 3 out of 4 citizens seek to emigrate to improve their economic standard of living.
In Serbia and Montenegro, 60% of respondents consider the economy as the main reason for seeking a better life abroad.
Corruption also ranks among the main reasons driving emigration. Bosnia and Serbia record the highest percentages, 24% and 23% respectively, of citizens saying corruption has made them consider leaving. Albania follows with 20%, followed by North Macedonia (17%) and Kosovo (14%).
