High prices are the most worrying economic issue for Albanians, according to the results of the Balkan Barometer 2025 recently published by the Regional Cooperation Council.
For 72 percent of Albanians, rising prices are the biggest problem, the highest level in the Region, after Kosovo, where for 77% of citizens there, prices are a worrying problem.
According to the KRB in 2025, rising prices and inflation continue to top the list of public concerns, mentioned by 66% of respondents, a slight increase from 64% in 20241. The general economic situation remains the second most mentioned issue at 44%, marking a gradual decline from 45% in 2024 and 47% in 2023. Corruption is still seen as a major challenge, identified by 35% of citizens in 2025, compared to 36% in 2024 and 27% in 2023.
Citizens across the Western Balkans (WB6) countries continue to see regional cooperation as a powerful driver of progress.
The latest barometer shows that almost half of respondents across the WB6 now place more importance on what unites the region than what distinguishes it, while only around 14% focus more on the divisions and around a third remain neutral.
In 2025, historical mistrust and nationalist politics continue to be seen as the main obstacles to regional cooperation among the 6 countries of the Region.
Support for EU membership has increased across the BP6, reaching 64% overall compared to 54% in 2024. Albania (86%) and Kosovo* (78%) show the strongest support. Other BP6 countries also show significant increases, reflecting growing optimism about EU integration in the region.
Support for EU membership in BP6 is at its highest level in a decade, rising from 39% in 2016 to 64% in 2025. Over the same period, the share of those who consider EU membership “bad” has fallen from 20% to just 9%, signaling growing optimism and declining skepticism towards European integration.
Expectations for EU membership in the BP have become slightly more optimistic in 2025. An increasing share of respondents now perceive that membership could occur by 2030 (26%, up from 20% in 2024) or by 2035 (25%, up from 23%).
At the same time, fewer people expect this to happen after 2040 (9%, down from 11%) or believe it will never happen (17%, down from 18%), while views that membership will happen around 2040 remain broadly stable (13% vs. 14%).
Citizens in the six countries increasingly associate EU membership with benefits, particularly economic gains and mobility. Economic prosperity remains the top expectation, mentioned by 47% of respondents (up from 43% in 2024), followed by freedom to travel, which has increased to 36% (up from 27% in 2024). Freedom to study and work in the EU, as well as lasting peace and stability, are each mentioned by 28% of respondents (compared to 35% and 27% respectively in 2024).
In 2025, citizens in 6 Western countries report an increase in the use of digital services compared to 2024. According to public perceptions, online shopping (44% vs. 36%) and online banking (37% vs. 31%) remain the most used services, highlighting the growing role of digital tools in everyday life.
The percentage of respondents who say they use artificial intelligence has almost tripled (29% vs. 10%), while those reporting the use of video streaming have also increased (26% vs. 21%), indicating a rapidly diversifying digital landscape. In contrast, perceived use of e-government services has remained broadly stable (19% vs. 20%).
Public perceptions of the risks associated with cybercrime have fallen (40% vs. 46%). Concern about the security of online payments has also fallen (26% vs. 30%).
In 2025, citizens in WB6 show a higher awareness of environmental challenges in their local communities, especially those related to pollution. Air pollution is mentioned more often (61%, up from 57% in 2024), while concern about water pollution has also increased (52% vs. 43%), followed by land pollution (44% vs. 38%).
Across BP6, citizens express relatively higher levels of trust in several key institutions. Religious organizations are viewed most positively, with 69% of respondents reporting 'quite' or 'a lot' of trust, followed by the armed forces (62%) and the European Union (60%).
At the same time, public opinion remains critical of the main domestic political institutions. Political parties attract the highest levels of distrust, with 77% expressing little or no trust, followed by parliaments (70%) and social media (69%).
In 2025, young people in BP6 (aged 18-24) express renewed confidence in the benefits of EU membership. After a gradual decline from 70% in 2021 to 59% in 2024, the share of young people who see EU membership as good for the economy has risen to 71%, reaching its highest level in five years and signaling a strong revival of optimism about integration.
Young people see rising prices/inflation (58%), the economic situation (37%) and corruption (36%) as the main economic challenges, while they give more weight than the general population to brain drain/emigration (28%) and the quality of education (20%). Unemployment (27%) remains a major concern, similar to the general population (25%)./Monitor.al/
