How Albanians, Balkans, Europeans Spend Money

The weight of expenses for food in Albanian households is 44.1% of the total money they have available to spend, the highest in Europe.

The costs most heavy on Albanians, Balkans and Europeans Photo illustration 23 June, 2019 7:57

Albanians spend more on food and education, Europeans for housing and entertainment. Food spending, education and communication burden Albanian families more than a European family.

Food is a basic human need to survive. When it comes to the expenses of Albanian households, they have the highest weight in total spending and, as they meet the basic need, with what you have left behind. The weight of expenses for food in Albanian households is 44.1% of the total money they have available to spend, the highest in Europe.

It is similar with household expenses in European countries, where food expenses total only 12.2%. Compared to the average expenses of a family living in the European Union, food expenses weigh 3.6 times more in Albania.

Education also burdens Albanian families in proportion to an average EU family. According to Eurostat data, a family's education spending in the EU is about 1.1% of total expenditures. While one family in Albania weighs 3.9% of the total, almost 2 percentage points more than families in the EU. Even for communication, Albanian families are heavier than European ones. According to INSTAT, the burden of communications spending was about 3.4% of the total, while in the EU, communication expenditures total 2.5% of households' total expenses, based on Eurostat data.

Foods cover the main burden of household spending in the Balkans, Albania holds the record.

In the Western Balkans, most household expenses go to provide food. However, by making a comparison between them, food expenses are much higher in Albania. After Albania, Northern Macedonia is the country where food expenses are higher, with about 36.8% of the total expenditures they carry out, followed by Kosovo with 34.1%.

While in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, food spending accounts for nearly a quarter of total expenditures, weighing 24.5% and 24.3%, respectively. Among the countries in the region, Serbia has the lowest weight for this group, with about 17.3% of the total. Compared to countries in the region, Albania has the lowest expenses in terms of home spending, energy, water and rent groups. While the highest are Serbia and Kosovo, with 14.5%.

For restaurants and hotels, Montenegro heads

Montenegro was one of the country that attracted the largest number of tourists in the region, and as a result, restaurant and hotel prices are higher than in other countries. High prices have also been reflected in the spending on this group in the country, with a weight of 15.2% of the region. After Montenegro is ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina, where, in the total amount of expenses they cost for restaurants and hotels, there were 6.2% (see the table). Albania is third in the region, where around 5% of family spending goes towards this category, being followed by Macedonia with 3.7%, Kosovo with 2.4% and Serbia with 2%.

Albania at highest health spending in region

In terms of health spending, Albania holds the record in the region by 3.9% of total expenditures, almost the EU average of 4%. In the region, health spending ranges from 1.3% in Kosovo to 3.1% in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Education Cost Us More

Many European Union countries are pursuing facilitating policies to enable quality education for all walks of life. Many universities in the EU do not apply study fees to EU citizens, while education is funded mainly by taxes, rather than tariffs. This has also been reflected in the burden of spending on education in the total of European households' expenses by 1.1% of total. In the region, however, expenditures are even lower than 0.2% in Macedonia, with 0.9% in Serbia and Kosovo and 1.1% in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Kosovo Albanians, region's most fun

Countries in the region, compared with the European Union, have expenses for almost twice as low entertainment. In the European Union, the burden of spending on entertainment and culture was 8.5% of total. While Kosovo Albanians can be named the region's most enthusiastic. Spending on entertainment and culture is about 4.1% of the total, being followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina by 3.9%, Serbia with 3.8%, Montenegro with 3.6%. The lowest are registered in Albania, where, according to INSTAT data, this group totaled 3%, while in Macedonia about 1.9%.

Balkans, “pianecs” of Europe

The Western Balkans is also known for their love of alcoholic beverages, with tradition in artisan production. Their love of alcohol is also seen in the weight of alcohol consumption in the total cost of families in the region, where in all other countries, it exceeds the European average in Albania. According to Eurostat data, an EU family spends an average of 3.8% of total alcohol and tobacco.

A weight twice lower than in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country that breaks the record in terms of alcohol and tobacco spending, weighing 7.6%. After Bosnia and Herzegovina, at high cost, Serbia and Montenegro rank 5.6% and 5.5%, respectively. Even in Kosovo, drinking and smoking expenditures are estimated to be 5.2%, while in Macedonia 4.1%. Albania has lower expenditures by 3.5%, with a weight even lower than the European Union average.

More Macedonians Walk After Fashion

Macedonian families have scored the highest expenses for clothing and shoes, where weights for this group are estimated at 5.3% of total expenditures, according to the State Statistics Office in Macedonia. Costs for clothing and shoes exceed the average of EU countries for this category. According to Eurostat, the weight that occupied clothes and shoes in EU countries was 4.9% of the total. Later, in the region for the highest weight of this category, Montenegro ranks 4.7%, Albania with 4.3%, Bosnia and Herzegovina with 3.7%, Kosovo with 3.2%. Serbian families have marked the lowest expenses for clothing and shoes, where, according to Eurostat, they are estimated at 2..8% of total expenditures.

Montenegrins, Kosovo Albanians obsessed with homes

8.4% of the total cost of Montenegrin households and 7.9% of Kosovo families' expenses go towards furniture, household equipment and various housing maintenance. These two countries have scored the record not only among Western Balkan countries but also in the EU, where the expenses for this group were 5.5% of total.

“Meraklinj” for the house are Macedonians, where according to the State Statistics Office, about 5.5% of expenses went to house maintenance. Followed by Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina by 4.8%. While in Serbian families, furniture spending, home appliances and maintenance facilities total only 2.7%.