Labour Migration in the Western Balkans
1. Characteristics of Migration - Trends
WB6 migrants in OECD countries
2010/11 (left)
2015/16 (left)
Emigration rate to OECD (right)
1,200
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
200
0
ALB
5%
0%
BIH
*
KOS
MKD
MNE
SRB
Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the highest
emigration rates in the region with 20% of its
population living in OECD countries.
1,000
800
600
400
First residence permits attained by WB6 citizens in European countries
Thousand
ALB
MKD
BIH
MNE
KOS
SRB
120
100
80
60
40
20
20
0
2008
2009
2010 2011 2012 2013
2014
2015 2016 2017
2018 2019 2020
Note: More information is available at Figure 1.3 of the publication Labour Migration In The Western Balkans.
Source: OECD (2016) OECD Database on Immigrants in OECD Countries (DIOC), The Swiss Federal Statistical Office (2022); Eurostat (2022),
Population change - Demographic balance and crude rates at national level [DEMO_GIND].
Emigration to Europe has increased almost fivefold
between 2011 and 2019.
However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it declined by
38% in 2020.
Note: European destination countries include EU Member Countries, European Economic Area non-EU countries (Iceland,
Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland.
Source: Eurostat (2021), First permits by reason, length of validity and citizenship [MIGR_RESFIRST]
This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244/99 and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Kosovo's declaration of independence.
3View entire presentation