75% of Albanians say that taxes and fees significantly burden their living, the highest burden in the region

The fiscal system and administrative fees are becoming a burden for citizens of the Western Balkans, but in Albania this pressure appears to have affected the largest share of the population, according to the “Security Meter 2025” survey conducted by the Regional Cooperation Council.

The data show that in Albania, around 75% of citizens estimate that taxes and fees increase their cost of living by 10% to 50% of their monthly income. Specifically, the group that declares public obligations take 21–30% of their monthly income is the highest in the region, with 30% of respondents, compared to the Western Balkans average of 25%.

This figure shows that, unlike their neighbors, Albanians feel the burden of public obligations as an expense that determines their monthly well-being. Only 13% of Albanians think the state takes less than 10% of their living costs, the lowest level in the region after Serbia.

This means that for nearly one third of the population in Albania, payments to public institutions take a considerable share of the family budget, exceeding the regional average.

Kosovo appears as an economy with a lighter burden for its citizens. Around 17% of its citizens feel the burden of public payments below the 10% level, a more positive indicator than in Albania.

Serbia has the highest percentage of citizens who report extreme costs, where 11% of citizens say they pay 50% of their monthly income to the state, while in Albania this category is almost negligible at 3%. This shows that the Serbian system may be more aggressive toward higher-income groups, while the Albanian system targets the middle class more broadly.

North Macedonia leads the region with 36% of respondents paying 10–20% of their monthly income, ranking very close to Albania in terms of the perception of a moderate burden.

For Albania, the figures show a high sensitivity to public financial obligations, including water and electricity bills and other tax- and fee-related payments. A considerable portion of the population stated that these costs significantly erode their monthly income.

“KORÇA BOOM”