Western Balkan countries lose around 5.5 billion euros each year through the emigration of young citizens, a new report by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy found.
The research, which looked at Serbia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia, concluded that the education of a child into adulthood costs an average of 25,000 euros. The total amount calculated with nine years of primary school, fours years of secondary school and five years higher education.
Given the significant outflow of youngsters from these countries, however, it is frequently the recipient countries reaping the rewards. Besides education costs (estimated between 840 million and 2.46 billion euros) the countries collectively lose billions in GDP from the absent youngsters not working in their home countries.
Young people have continually left the region in large numbers for decades, fleeing economic and political instability, and even war. The worst-hit countries in the region are Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has lost half of its citizens, according to some estimates, and Kosovo, from where 15.4% of its population left in the 2007-18 period.
Romania’s government has approved a repeat presidential election in May after institutional chaos and controversy…
NATO deployed a multinational flotilla off the Estonian coast at the weekend to defend undersea…
Poland's presidential election campaign has officially begun, ahead of a pivotal vote for the Central…
US President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Monday, 20 January, broke with tradition and extended…
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic secured a decisive re-election victory, defeating his conservative challenger in a…
Although Romania joined the Schengen free travel area at the beginning of 2025, international trains…