Poverty in Albania: A Qualitative Assessment

World Bank Technical Paper No. 520 (2002)
 Hermine De Soto; Peter Gordon; Ilir Gedeshi; Zamira Sinoimeri

Over the last ten years, Albania has made substantial political and economic progress, especially since the civil turmoil of 1997. Yet challenges remain, especially with regard to reducing poverty: Albania still being one of the poorest countries in Europe. The qualitative poverty assessment presents information on a variety of sectors to support the Government of Albania’s Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS), which aims at reducing poverty through a comprehensive national development strategy.

This study examines how poor Albanians experience and express what poverty means to them. The study found that Albanians experience poverty in terms of lack of hope, feelings of defencelessness and exclusion from social and commercial life, and an inability to continue cultural traditions. Different minorities have somewhat different experiences, with the Roma community remaining the poorest and most vulnerable to social exclusion.

This study seeks to deepen the understanding of poverty in the country by involving poor Albanians in a process of exploring causes, nature, extent of poverty, and how it affects their lives. It supports ongoing research on formal and informational institutions in Albania that are relevant to poverty. Finally, it identifies emerging areas of concern that will require attention in the future. 

Shkarkoni  Publikimin e plote
 

E-Mail | Print