Flash News

Citizen puts knife to the neck of a street police officer

Beautiful ugly protest

Transparency Board sets new fuel prices

Two cars collide on the Kardhiq-Delvinë axis, one dead and 3 injured

From Holocaust heroes to ‘Albania for Albanians’: A NATO ally’s dangerous crossroads

E-TJERA

Study: The same products in markets in Albania are 83% more expensive than in Europe

Politiko 2026-06-05 14:53:07

Study: The same products in markets in Albania are 83% more expensive than in

Researcher Ilir Ciko has presented some preliminary findings of the study "Market Competition Index (MCI) for the Western Balkans: 2026", as the third part of a series of studies that show the level of competition in the markets of Albania and the region.

This level is expressed and measured through the ability of markets to allow prices to deviate from those of the EU for identical products, marketed by the same European operators, being considered a determining factor of the high distortion evidenced in the market.

According to a post on his social media, the study shows that all countries in the region have experienced slight improvement compared to the previous year, with the exception of North Macedonia, which shows slight deterioration, and Montenegro, which has seen significant improvement.

Albania remains the market with the heaviest consumer burden in the entire Western Balkans, with an MCI index of 83 and the highest consumer burden in the region (100).

For the average Albanian consumer, the results show that the products he buys in European markets in Albania, stripped of the different effect of VAT, cost on average 83% more than the exact same products sold by the exact same companies in the European market, while his purchasing power is only 41% of the EU average.

"Despite the public call, none of the operators included in the first study, two years ago, has reflected any significant price reduction in the market, although the Lek continues to strengthen against the Euro.

Likewise, none of the public institutions that have the duty to monitor the market and protect consumers have taken any measures regarding this phenomenon that costs Albanian consumers 130-260 million euros per year, even though they have long been fully aware of the above," says researcher Ciko.

This year, two new reference economies are included in the study: Croatia (part of the region and EU member) and Ukraine, a country involved in war. Both countries result in a much better level of competitiveness than the countries of the region (MCI).

Ciko says the full paper will be published soon. Monitor

Latest news