54.5 percent of Albanians cannot afford an unexpected expense of 1,000 euros, the highest level in the region

More than half of Albanian households are not able to cope with an emergency expense that requires savings of 1,000 euros.

According to data from the Security Meter 2025 survey and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) survey, Albania recorded the highest percentage of households unable to handle an emergency expense.

Albania reports the highest level of financial insecurity in the region in 2025, with 54.5% of respondents stating that they could not cover such an expense independently, a slight increase from 53.3% in 2024.

Similarly, North Macedonia shows a high level of vulnerability, with nearly half of the population (48.1%) unable to manage such an emergency cost in 2025.

In contrast, Kosovo stands out with relatively higher emergency affordability levels, where 50.1% of respondents agreed that they could cover the expense, a noticeable improvement from 38.2% in 2024.

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro show improvements in 2025, with around one third of the population stating that they could manage the cost in 2025.

Serbia presents a worrying trend. In 2025, only 25.2% of respondents said they could afford a 1,000 euro expense, a sharp decline from 35.0% in 2024. Moreover, Serbia recorded a high share of respondents who answered “hard to say” in 2025, at 38.7%, indicating growing uncertainty or a lack of clarity about household finances.

Data from 2025 reveal that only one third (33.1%) of respondents across the six Western Balkan countries feel confident that their household could manage an unexpected 1,000 euro expense without borrowing or relying on others. This marks a slight decline from 36.7% in 2024, suggesting a deterioration in perceptions of financial resilience.

The data show that the situation has worsened in many Western Balkan countries between 2024 and 2025, reflecting ongoing economic fragility and pressures that may drive emigration or limit well-being across the region.

“KORÇA BOOM”