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FIGURES/ One in three Albanians plans to emigrate, seeking work and a better life
2025-11-27 15:56:09 / EKONOMI&SOCIALE
In Albania, people with migration intentions in the near or distant future make up 33% of the population, one of the highest levels in the CESEE (Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe) region and a clear indicator of the ongoing demographic pressure the country is experiencing.
This figure includes those who plan to leave within a year, those who consider emigrating in the next decade, as well as a significant share of individuals who do not categorically rule out the possibility of emigration. The difference with Central European countries is significant: in the Czech Republic and Hungary, only 7% of the population report such intentions.
The data comes from the 2024 OeNB Euro Survey, which regularly measures attitudes towards migration in Central, Eastern and Southeastern European countries. The latest survey shows that, while the desire to emigrate in the near term has declined in most countries compared to pre-pandemic years, Albania and North Macedonia remain notable exceptions.
In 2024, 10% of Albanians and 11% of North Macedonians expressed an intention to leave within a year, the highest levels in the region. Other countries such as Serbia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Poland have lower figures, ranging from 2% to 5%, while Hungary and the Czech Republic report less than 2%.
In 2019, before the pandemic, an average of 7% of residents in CESEE countries planned to emigrate within the next year, while this figure dropped to 5% in 2021 and 4.5% in 2024. However, Albania continues to remain significantly above the regional average.
The 2024 survey also included a question on the possibility of emigration within the next ten years, to measure the population’s broader openness to migration. Across the region, around 10% of the population considers emigration possible within the next decade. Another 8.5% declare “don’t know”, indicating that they do not rule out this possibility. In Albania, both of these groups, together with short-term goals, bring the total population with an emigration tendency to 33%.
Regarding the reasons for migration presented in Figure 11, most people declare that they want to migrate for employment-related reasons (46%). This is followed by better living conditions abroad as the second main reason (26%). Thus, improvements in labor market conditions and public services, such as education or healthcare, may be key to further reducing migration intentions in CESEE countries or to encourage people to return.
In Albania, the two main reasons that drive emigration are the search for better employment opportunities and the desire for better living conditions.
In 2024, respondents were asked whether they had previously lived abroad. Figure 12 shows that the share of these returnees is significant in the CESEE countries, reaching an average of 14%. Hungary has the lowest share by far, with around 7% of the population having lived abroad.
In most countries, this share ranges between 11% and 16%. In Albania, a surprising 28% of the population declares having previously lived abroad.
In terms of length of stay abroad, short-term stays of less than a year are common. They account for 35% of all stays across countries, but the shares range from around 25% in Bosnia and Herzegovina to around 50% in the Czech Republic.
The Czech Republic stands out as a country with very few returnees who have spent more than three years abroad (around 20%). In contrast, Bosnia and Herzegovina has the most returnees who have spent more than three years abroad (around 50%), followed by Bulgaria, Albania and Serbia (around 40%)./ monitor
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