Albania is among the countries with the highest percentage of the population at risk of poverty in Europe, but we also have a great disparity between the population at risk of poverty according to place of residence, village-city.

Data shows that almost 60% of the population living in rural areas is at risk of poverty in 2021 (data for Albania 2020), this was the highest level in Europe.

Rural population of our country has a high percentage of the risk of poverty in relation to the rural population of other countries. Romania is ranked second for the high level of poverty in the countryside, where about 50% of the rural population is with a 10 percentage point difference from Albania.

Eurostat points out that Albania has a high level of population at risk of poverty in large cities, including the capital. In Albania, almost 45 percent of the population in these regions is at risk of poverty, the highest level in Europe. Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania are ranked after Albania, where the population of big cities living at risk of poverty is 30%.

Same situation is in smaller cities. In smaller Albanian cities, poverty is milder than in big cities and in rural areas. Eurostat estimates that the risk of poverty in the smallest cities includes 29% of the population.

This indicator is lower than in the countryside and big cities, but it is still higher than in other European cities. Also, the urban-rural poverty risk gap is the highest in Albania compared to other European countries (see the graph below).

Earlier this year, the World Bank analyzed that the Territorial reform greatly worsened the management of rural areas and has put the development of these areas in front of new challenges.

Lack of provision of services in rural areas by the new local units that emerged from the territorial reform has influenced the creation of inequalities. While urban areas benefit from relatively higher coverage of public services, on the other hand the quality is poor and has created further social and environmental costs.

Pollution, overcrowding and poor planning further erode the quality of life in urban areas. Deficiencies in solid waste and wastewater management are limiting the population's access to appropriate solid waste management services, as well as access to good quality water.

(Source: Monitor)