Why are Albanians the unhappiest in the region and Kosovo the happiest?

Albania and Kosovo speak the same language, have similar traditions and histories, but when it comes to enjoying life, they are on opposite sides.

The latest data from the World Happiness Report 2025, published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, found that out of 140 countries, Albania ranked 89th in the world, the unhappiest in Europe, behind only Turkey, while Kosovo was the happiest in the region, with an overall ranking of 29th in the world and 18th in Europe.

Serbia ranks 31st, Bosnia and Herzegovina 56th, Montenegro 71st, North Macedonia 86th. The index reflects the quality of life of citizens in different countries by analyzing indicators such as income, social support, health, personal freedom, generosity and the level of corruption.

But how are these differences explained in the index that measures people's satisfaction with their lives, including how happy, secure, and satisfied they feel in relation to the conditions in which they live?

High corruption in the region

An indicator that penalizes most of the countries in the region is corruption. For Albania (ranked 111), North Macedonia (131) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (124), this is the main concern, which negatively affects the quality of life. The lowest perception of corruption in the region is in Montenegro (44), Serbia (61), Kosovo (69).

The perception of corruption is measured through two main questions of the Gallup World Poll:
– Is corruption widespread in your country's government?
– Is corruption widespread in your country's businesses?

Albanians do not have each other's support

The second indicator that negatively impacts Albanians' life satisfaction is the perceived lack of support from friends. In the social support index, Albania ranks 111th in the world and last not only in the region, but also in Europe.

The social support indicator is measured through the question: “If something bad were to happen to you, do you have someone you could rely on?” The percentage of respondents who answer positively is used as an indicator of social support in that country.

Even in Kosovo, support from friends is lower than in other countries in the region, ranking 70th. Serbia holds the lead (29), followed by Montenegro (39), Bosnia and Herzegovina (47), and North Macedonia (54).

Kosovo, the most generous in the region, Albania at the bottom

The indicator where Kosovo scored the highest is generosity, ranking 17th in the world. The question asked of respondents is: “Have you donated money to charity in the past month?”

Montenegrins are the least generous in the region (99), followed by Albanians (72). They are followed by North Macedonia (46), Serbia (36), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (28).

Citizens of Albania and Kosovo have the greatest freedom in the region

In North Macedonia, citizens feel they lack the freedom to make life decisions, ranking 119th in the world. They also do not feel free in Bosnia and Herzegovina (89), as well as in Serbia (66) and Montenegro (61).

The question asked of respondents is: “Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with your freedom to choose what you do with your life?”

Citizens of Kosovo and Albania perceive that they have the greatest freedom to choose in the region. Kosovo holds the lead, ranking 28th in the world, while Albania is in 34th place.

Does money buy happiness?!

Does money buy happiness? If we look at the index in the region, it turns out that it doesn't.

Although they are the poorest in the region and Europe, measured by per capita domestic product (ranked 77th out of 140 countries in the world), Kosovo's citizens are the happiest in the region and among the happiest in Europe, as their quality of life is influenced by freedom to make decisions, generosity, and a perception of corruption that is lower than in other countries in the region.

Albania is second from the bottom in terms of per capita income (65), but unlike Kosovo, they feel the lack of generosity, support from friends, and especially the high level of corruption.

In Montenegro, where per capita income is the highest in the region (48th out of 140 countries in the ranking), Montenegrins again rank among the unhappiest in the region, trailing only North Macedonia and Albania. Montenegrin citizens are dissatisfied with their freedom to make decisions and are the least generous in the region.

Even in Serbia, where per capita income is at levels similar to Montenegro (51), citizens are dissatisfied with the freedom to make decisions and this is evident in their anger in the protests that have been going on for two months./ Monitor