Electronic equipment, Albania with the highest prices in Europe in 2023

In 2023, Albania had a per capita income of 35% of the European average, ranking last, but on the other hand it has the highest prices for household appliances in all of Europe in the same year.

Today's Eurostat data show that the prices of electrical household appliances in Albania are 131.7% higher than the average price in the EU by 2023 (EU=100), ranking our country at the top of the countries for high prices in these items that have weight in the basket of goods.

Albanians pay higher prices for a relatively poor quality of equipment. The lack of control over the markets means that copies of well-known brands are sold in Albania, which break down quickly and do not offer quality during use.

Also, Albania ranked second after Finland for the high prices of electronic devices with 133% of the EU average.

Albanians pay more than the EU average for clothes and shoes. According to Eurostat, the prices of shoes in our country during 2023 were at least 15.9% higher than the EU average, while those of clothing were 2.3% higher.

Eurostat ranked Albania second in the region after Serbia for high food and drink prices. The data show that in 2023, food and drink prices in Albania were 91% of the EU average.

In the Balkans, Turkey has the cheapest food prices with 63.9% of the EU average, followed by North Macedonia and Bosnia. Even EU member countries such as Poland, Bulgaria and Romania had lower food prices than Albania.

In 2023, price levels for household final consumption expenditure were different across the EU.

The highest price levels were recorded in Denmark (143% of the EU average), Ireland (142%) and Luxembourg (135%). Meanwhile, the lowest levels were recorded in Bulgaria and Romania (60% each) and Poland (66%).

In 2023, the price level for alcohol and tobacco was 3.2 times higher in Ireland, the most expensive country, than in Bulgaria, the least expensive. The lowest price levels for alcohol and tobacco were recorded in Bulgaria (66% of the EU average), Poland (77%) and Romania (85%).

Meanwhile, the highest levels were recorded in Ireland (211%), Finland (170%) and Denmark (133%). This big difference in prices is mainly due to the differences in the taxes of these products.

Restaurants and hotels rank second in terms of price level difference, with the lowest price levels recorded in Bulgaria (52% of the EU average), Romania (65%) and Hungary (72%) and the highest in Denmark (152%). Finland (129%) and Ireland (128%).

Clothing ranked third in terms of price level change, with Spain (81%), Bulgaria (82%) and Hungary (88%) recording the cheapest clothing prices, while the most expensive were in Denmark (131%), Czech Republic (126%). ) and Estonia (118%).

Disparities were also recorded for food and soft drinks (ranging from 74% of the EU average in Romania to 119% in Luxembourg), personal transport equipment (ranging from 90% in Slovakia to 129% in Denmark) and electronics of consumption (varied from 92% in Italy to 113% in France)./ Monitor