Kosovo ranks last in Europe for average monthly income

Kosovo continues to face considerable wage inequality compared to Western Europe, ranking in the last country for average monthly income. According to the World Bank report, entitled “Growth Ritming”, Economic motives have been the main driver for citizens' flight in search of better opportunities.

Report entitled “Growth Rhythming”, It ranks Kosovo in the last country in terms of average annual profits according to the countries, where Western countries' salaries were estimated to be up to three times higher, even after adopting indicators for purchasing power and cost of living.

In recent years, economic motives have been the main driver for migration. Most migrants move in search of better employment opportunities and higher wages. Employment rates in the WB6 countries are markedly lower compared to those in destination countries (60.3 percent in 2023, compared to 70.4 percent in the EU)”, It says in the report.

In the summer of 2022, unprecedented inflation in recent decades, which peaked at 14.2 percent in the summer of 2022, dealt a great blow to the country's purchasing power, with international reports suggesting government measures were insufficient to protect damaged layers, writes Nacionale.

This huge wage gap is pushing citizens towards migration for better economic opportunities. In Western Europe, higher pay jobs in countries such as Germany, Switzerland and Austria remain a top destination for Kosovars seeking a better quality of life.

The report notes a large gender imbalance in migration from Kosovo. The domination of men in migration is attributed to the very economic factor, as the report estimates they are more likely to seek seasonal or temporary work abroad.

The challenge of migrants remains work under their qualifications. This gap in skills and roles underscores the challenges Kosovo and Albania citizens especially face to integrate into the job markets of host countries, regardless of their high educational levels.

“Among highly educated immigrants, 46 percent of men and 41 percent of women are overqualified for their work, a challenge especially common to Kosovo-born and Albania”It says in the report.

As many Kosovars leave for better economic prospects, migration is not always a permanent decision. The World Bank report shows that a significant portion of Western Balkan immigrants return to their countries.

However, in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, the number of returnees is considered low compared to the size of the diaspora.