Kosovo citizens' living standards below average

The living standards of Kosovo citizens, despite improvements made in recent years, continue to remain below the average and away from the countries of the region and the European Union, say economic experts.

According to the latest data of the Kosovo Statistics Agency, which speaks of 2017, overall consumption in Kosovo was 2,340m euros, while for a family economy of 7,803 euros, as well as resident 1,511 euros.

Of the results released from this KSF data, total consumption in 2017 compared to 2016 is said to have a slight 0.1 percent increase, while household and per capita consumption has an increase of 3.5 percent.

The largest share of the family economies' budget in 2017 was spent on food and housing, 40 percent for food, and 29 percent for housing, general consumption. The cost of transportation and clothing is followed by 5 percent and 4 percent for furniture, alcohol and tobacco”, says the ASS report published days ago.

The most important source of family economies' revenues in Kosovo are salaries from the private and public sector, then revenues from private business, pensions, as well as remittances.

Economic experts say it is the money sent from the diaspora that has influenced the growth of the citizens' living standard.

Ismet Mulaj, connoisseur of economic and social developments in Kosovo, tells Radio Free Europe that raising the living standard is mainly due to remittances.

Thanks to the remittances coming from the diaspora, it is a better living standard in Kosovo. However, based on the income Kosovo has and the high cost of living costs, I can say we are the last country not only in the region, but in all of Europe, for the quality of life”, Mulaj says.

Kosovo is seen as one of the most mostly remittances, where in most cases these shipments are used for family consumption.

Each year, the value of remittances amounts to about 600m euros.

Mulaj adds that there is a great difference between what is worked in Kosovo and is won in Kosovo and what has come as new technology and quality of life, as a result of Kosovo's opening with other countries.

The “included in technology use, from clothing to food quality there is no large gap. So there is no essential issue, but the problem lies in per capita income. In Germany a phone is bought that has almost the same price as in Kosovo, but the revenues there are 2 or 3 thousand euros and in Kosovo 200 or 300 euros”, Mulaj says.

However, citizens surveyed by Radio Free Europe say their living standard has not marked growth over these years. Hysen Klaic, a citizen, says that in the Kosovo market prices are high, until the low wage.

I don't think the standard life has increased. We continue to remain at that standard of life that we had a few years ago, probably worse since prices have gone up until wages are the same”, he says.

Adam likewise expresses himself.

“Prices are the ones that are marking ongoing growth and that are enabling us to have a better standard of life. Kosovo imports all the products and prices that are in EU countries we have even as long as wages are much smaller compared to EU countries”, he says.

Unemployment is one of the biggest problems that has accompanied Kosovo society in recent years.

Of the more than 500,000 Kosovo citizens active for work, according to data from the Kosovo Statistics Agency, employed are about 350 thousand people. The average salary in Kosovo is about 500 euros.

Until the unemployment rate is 30.5 percent.