They get educated, they get educated, and when they should be contributing to the country's economy, they choose to leave. Every able-bodied Albanian who leaves costs Albania 14 thousand euros.
A study on youth emigration in the Western Balkan countries conducted by the "Westminster Foundation for Democracy" shows that each departure is a lost cost for our country's economy, both in terms of education and employment.
"This boy or girl until he or she is 26 years old was raised by Albanian taxpayers. If he or she went to school, it was paid for by Albanian taxpayers; if he or she had a medical need, he or she went to hospitals where Albanian taxpayers paid. The other big cost is that these young people leave at working age, meaning their contribution as individuals at working age is zero in that regard," Arjan Gjonça, an immigration expert, told A2 CNN.
The study analyzes an average of 41,700 people leaving each year. Including education costs, they reach up to 500 million euros.
The education of an Albanian, depending on the level of education, costs 6 thousand euros for primary school, 9 thousand and 300 euros for high school, 18 thousand euros for academic studies and 32 thousand euros for doctoral studies. 1 billion euros in losses.
"If we assume that GDP is between 18-19 billion euros, a simple calculation made from this figure in this study, about 5-6% of GDP is a loss. That Albania's economic growth would be much greater," adds Gjonçaj.
Albania's only benefit from the Albanians who left is remittances, which are not considered a positive indicator for the country. (A2 Televizion)
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