Just over a quarter of Albanians do not have the financial means to pay for water, electricity, and rent. In fact, Albanians have been found to be the people with the greatest inability to pay their monthly bills as well as provide sustenance, or take time off work.
This is according to the Balkan Barometer survey conducted by the Regional Cooperation Council.
In 2019, 26% of Albanians were unable to meet the cost of their water and electricity bills. This was the highest in the region by at least 6 percentage points. 10% of Bosniaks, 19% of Kosovars, 20% of Macedonians, 19% of Montenegrins, and 17% of Serbs were unable to pay for the same things.
Another 16% were unable to make their loan repayments, again highest in the region. Around 50% said they were unable to afford to heat or cool their homes. This was significantly higher than the regional average of 15%.
When it comes to taking vacations, the majority at 63% were unable to afford to go on holiday.
