More than one in three young people aged 15-29 in Albania suffer from severe material deprivation. This is the most negative indicator across all European countries with a significant difference from the penultimate country.
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| Albanian children going to school on Qemal Stafa street in Tirana (archive) |
The data has been made public by a special publication of Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. According to Eurostat in 2021, over 35.1 percent of young Albanians aged 15 to 29 suffered from severe material deprivation. This is the highest rate across the continent. The second-highest rate in Europe is in Romania with 23.1 percent, while the average across the 27 European Union countries is 6.1 percent.
The rate of severe material and social deprivation (SMSD) is an indicator that shows a compulsory lack of necessary and desirable items to lead a suitable life. The indicator, approved by the Social Protection Committee in Brussels, distinguishes between individuals who cannot afford a certain good, service, or social activity. It is defined as the percentage of the population experiencing a compulsory lack of at least 7 out of 13 deprivation items (6 related to the individual and 7 related to the household).
The list of items at the household level includes:
• Ability to cope with unexpected expenses
• Capacity to afford the payment for a week of vacation away from home
• Ability to cope with overdue payments (for mortgages or rent, utility bills, hire-purchase instalments or other loan payments)
• Ability to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish, or vegetarian equivalent once every two days
• Ability to keep the home adequately warm
• Access to a car/van for personal use
• Replacement of worn-out furniture
The list of items at the individual level includes:
• Access to an internet connection
• Replacement of worn-out clothes with some new ones
• Having two pairs of shoes that fit properly (including one pair of shoes for each season)
• Spending a small amount of money each week on himself/herself
• Participation in regular leisure activities
• Meeting friends/family for a drink/meal at least once a month.
According to Eurostat, 35.1 percent of young Albanians have a lack of at least 7 items out of the 13 mentioned above.