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Human capital in Albania is being severely affected by the declining quality of education and healthcare services. Instead of improving, these essential services have worsened, hindering the potential growth and development of the population living in Albania.
In its latest regional report, the World Bank highlighted that throughout the Balkans, including Albania, there has been an increase in the prevalence of diseases that negatively affect people's quality of life and productivity.
“Relatively lower productivity in citizens from Balkan countries is explained by the high prevalence of health risk factors for adults, which are above the regional averages for ECA (Europe and Central Asia) and the EU,” the report stated.
In Albania, the average incidence of obesity among the adult population is 22.3%, while the regional average is 23%, compared to 20% in ECA and 17% in the EU.
The percentage of adult smokers in the region is 35%, while in Albania, it is slightly lower at 22.9%, compared to 28% in ECA and 26% in the EU. The overall prevalence of smoking in Albania stands at 28.9%, where the regional average is 26%, compared to 20% in ECA and 21% in the EU.
Across the Balkans, smoking and alcohol consumption are significantly higher among men than women, while obesity prevalence is slightly higher among women.
However, the most significant gaps in human potential arise from the poor quality of education. International student assessments have shown that results in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia are among the lowest in the region.
Beyond these low results in basic education, a similar poor performance is observed in higher education, where quality remains a major issue. The average university quality score in the WB6 (Western Balkans 6) countries is 8.7 (on a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 corresponds to the top-ranked university in the world). For comparison, the ECA average is 12.5, the EU average is 28.8, and the world leader, Singapore, has a score of 50.3.
In the Western Balkans, only Serbia stands out with a relatively better university quality score of 22.6, while the remaining countries show significantly lower results.
On average, 29% of adults aged 30-34 in the Western Balkans hold a university degree, compared to 33% in ECA and 43% in the EU.
The World Bank stresses that improving the quality of higher education is crucial for these countries to transition to a new growth model that could lead them towards achieving high-income status.