Index, Albania has the worst quality of life in Europe

Albania has been placed at the bottom of the list for quality of life in Europe, according to the latest report by the international platform Numbeo for the first half of 2025. With a total rating of 104.1 points in the quality of life index, Albania ranks 37th among the 37 European countries analyzed.

This ranking makes Albania the country with the lowest quality of life on the continent this year, especially for purchasing power, high apartment prices in relation to income, and the quality of healthcare, where we are last in Europe.

The Numbeo index is calculated based on eight main components that include purchasing power, safety, quality of healthcare, cost of living, property price-to-income ratio, pollution, travel time, and climate.

Data is collected from platform users and other official sources and updated in real time to reflect the perception and economic and social reality of each country.

In the case of Albania, the bottom ranking is the result of several combined factors. According to the purchasing power sub-index, Albania ranks last, with a score of 46.3 points, ranking even worse than Ukraine.

The low level of purchasing power means that real incomes do not cover the cost of living. Earlier, Eurostat data showed that food prices in Albania slightly exceeded the European average, although the country is among the last in Europe in terms of per capita income. An Albanian family spends an average of 40% of its budget on food, compared to the 13% that is the European average, according to Eurostat.

The ratio between real estate prices and income is also the most unfavorable in Europe. This ratio measures the affordability of buying an apartment.

It shows how many years of net family income it takes to buy an average apartment, with a lower value meaning better affordability. An Albanian family needs 16.3 years, the longest in Europe, while in Denmark and Belgium, which are ranked the cheapest by purchasing power, it takes 6.1 and 6.8 years respectively.

Indicators related to pollution and access to health services also remain problematic and below the European average. For pollution, Albania ranks second to last in Europe, leaving only North Macedonia behind. For the health care system, the ranking assesses Albania as having the lowest quality in Europe.

This index takes into account several factors such as the overall quality of the health system; Preparation and professionalism of medical personnel; Speed ​​of service in emergency situations; Accessibility in the public and private health system; Cost and affordability of medical services; Accuracy of diagnosis and available technology; Sense of security and trust in the system.

This index is perceptual, meaning it is based on reports from Numbeo users, and does not represent official measurements from health institutions or government agencies. However, it provides a comparative picture of citizens' experiences with healthcare in their country.

Even for the time spent traveling, Albania is fourth from the bottom in Europe, while Russia and Ukraine have the worst performance in this indicator. Albania has a moderate ranking in terms of public safety and climate.

On the other side of the ranking, the countries with the highest quality of life are Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland and Finland. These countries lead thanks to high purchasing power, developed health systems, high public safety, low pollution levels and efficient infrastructure./ Monitor