TIRANA, Dec. 14 – Only about a third of Albanians think the economic and political situation, household lives and corruption levels in 2016 are better compared to four years ago, according to a survey conducted by London-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The rate is similar to other central and eastern European countries and far more optimistic compared to more prosperous Western economies where the crisis effects during the past four years have been felt more.
However, about half of respondents said they were satisfied with their financial situation.
The situation in Albania is perceived far better than in neighbouring Greece, the country’s second largest trading partner and the host of some half a million migrants, where about 92 percent of households report having been affected by the economic crisis between 2010 and 2016. Italy, Albania’s top trading partner and the host of some 500,000 Albanians, also reported similar values with only 7 to 9 percent of respondents satisfied with the economic and political situation in their country.
Back in 2010, the EBRD survey found a majority of 60 percent of Albanians had been affected by the crisis despite being one of the few economies to maintain positive growth rates following the outbreak of the global financial crisis in 2008.
While 35 percent of Albanians in 2016 say there is less corruption compared to four years ago, perception about paying bribes to obtain public services is among the highest in the SEE region.
Almost 20 percent of Albanians admit they made unofficial payments or gifts over the past 12 months to have access to public services.
Corruption perception in the health sector is higher with an estimated more than 30 percent of Albanians admitting to paying bribes.
The survey shows that 25 years after the collapse of the country’s communist regime and its planned economy, only about half of Albanians prefer democracy or a market economy over any other form of political or economic system.
The majority of Albanians are satisfied with the quality of the public services in their country, with the only exception being the local roads network, which causes dissatisfaction for 52 per cent of the respondents.
When respondents were asked from a list of options what they thought were the most important factors for success in life in their country, 43 per cent of Albanians chose “political connections” , the third highest percentage for this response in the whole EBRD transition region.
The survey shows gender discrimination remains huge with women massively seen as less competent to be business executives and political leaders. About 40 percent of both men and women in Albania believe that it’s a woman’s job to do the household chores even if her husband is not working.
Some 1,500 Albanians were asked to give their opinions in the latest EBRD Life in Transition survey.
The Life in Transition Survey showed growing levels of life satisfaction across the former communist bloc, generally decreasing but continuing concerns about corruption and a persistent gender divide in the labor markets and in business.
