Albania STEM education and human capital shortage

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has identified a ‘silent crisis’ in Albania, characterized by a severe shortage of students graduating in STEM fields. The IMF noted that Albania has the lowest rate of technical graduations in its region, trailing behind neighbors like Serbia and North Macedonia, and falling significantly below the European Union average. This shortage is attributed to weaknesses in the pre-university education system and low performance in international mathematics assessments, creating a structural skill mismatch in the labor market.

Subsequent data from Eurostat highlights the depth of this issue at the highest academic levels. In 2023, Albania recorded zero doctorate graduates per 1,000 inhabitants aged 25–34 in fields such as science, mathematics, informatics, engineering, and manufacturing. This figure stands in contrast to the European Union average of 0.9 per 1,000. Data regarding gender-based doctorate rates also shows minimal activity, with indicators for both males and females dropping to zero in 2023.