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12 clusters · 78 sources · 24 days · First seen · Last updated

North Macedonia economic and energy development

Overview

North Macedonia is advancing economic diversification and energy infrastructure to establish itself as a regional hub. In the industrial sector, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski previously reported the creation of 17,000 new jobs between Q3 2024 and Q2 2026. Recent data from the State Statistical Office for 2026 shows divergent economic trends. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4.3% in the second quarter compared to the previous year—marking an acceleration from the 3.1% growth recorded in the first quarter—bringing the average growth for the first half of the year to approximately 3.7%. This expansion was largely driven by a 21.9% surge in the construction sector, a 16.5% increase in gross investments, and a 10.4% rise in exports of goods and services. However, the industrial sector experienced a decline in employment. In July 2026, the number of industrial workers fell by 2.6% year-on-year, with significant decreases in clothing manufacturing (-11.6%) and mining and quarrying (-7.8%). Conversely, employment grew in the production of computer, electronic, and optical products (15.1%), tobacco (9.3%), and beverages (2.8%). While Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska-Koçoska noted that the economy has maintained positive growth for ten consecutive quarters, analysts from Finance Think suggested that growth is heavily induced by public spending, contributing to a budget deficit of 7.1% in the first half of the year. To address fiscal management, Dimitrieska-Koçoska stated at the Ohrid 2026 Regional Conference that the Ministry allowed for a higher budget deficit during a recent rebalance to fund value-adding projects, while aiming for gradual fiscal consolidation through expenditure management and revenue optimization. Investment activity remains a focal point. Prime Minister Mickoski reported that foreign direct investment reached approximately 1.4 billion euros over the preceding 24 to 25 months, nearly double the 750 million euros recorded under the previous administration.

Entities

North Macedonia · Hristijan Mickoski · VMRO-DPMNE · State Statistical Office · Serbia

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. 2 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 4 sources
    North Macedonia reports 1.4 billion euros in foreign investment

    North Macedonia's economy is growing, with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski reporting 1.4 billion euros in foreign investment over the last 25 months, significantly outpacing previous government figures.

  2. 4 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 3 sources
    North Macedonia strengthens labor ties with Qatar and attracts new investment

    North Macedonia has signed a labor cooperation memorandum with Qatar and is seeing domestic industrial growth through investments from companies like KIEL and Cavo Automatik.

  3. 4 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    North Macedonia economy shows eight consecutive quarters of growth

    VMRO-DPMNE representative Bojan Stojanoski reports that North Macedonia's economy has grown by at least 3% for eight consecutive quarters, reaching 4.3% in the latest period.

  4. 6 days ago

    [POLITICS] 23 sources
    Greece and North Macedonia face divergent economic shifts

    Greece announces a 2.2 billion euro economic package including minimum wage hikes, while North Macedonia faces political tension over rising public debt and GDP growth projections.

  5. 8 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 21 sources
    North Macedonia economy grows 4.3% in second quarter of 2026

    North Macedonia's economy grew by 4.3% in Q2 2026, driven by construction and investment, though analysts note the growth is heavily supported by public spending and budget deficits.

  6. 10 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 12 sources
    Vertical Corridor expands to include Serbia and North Macedonia

    Serbia and North Macedonia are joining the Vertical Corridor initiative, expanding a natural gas route from Greece to provide the Western Balkans and Central Europe with enhanced energy security and LNG access.

  7. 14 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 7 sources
    North Macedonia creates 17,000 new jobs in two years

    North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski announced the creation of 17,000 new jobs between Q3 2024 and Q2 2026, primarily within the industrial sector.

  8. 15 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 10 sources
    North Macedonia and Serbia sign gas interconnector agreement

    North Macedonia and Serbia have signed a deal to build a 70km gas interconnector, aimed at diversifying energy supplies and strengthening regional security by 2028.

  9. 17 days ago

    [POLITICS] 23 sources
    North Macedonia seeks deeper strategic ties with Trump administration

    Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski declared North Macedonia a key pillar of U.S. interests in the Balkans, seeking to deepen strategic ties with the Trump administration in energy, security, and trade.

  10. 22 days ago

    [POLITICS] 10 sources
    North Macedonia and Czech Republic strengthen energy and digital cooperation

    North Macedonia and the Czech Republic are deepening cooperation in energy and digital sectors, focusing on cybersecurity, renewable energy, and technological investments to modernize infrastructure.

  11. 23 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    North Macedonia seeks to become a Balkan energy hub

    North Macedonia aims to become a Balkan energy hub by developing key electricity and gas interconnections with neighbors like Greece, Albania, and Serbia to enhance regional security and transit capabilities.

  12. 25 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 8 sources
    North Macedonia enters new investment cycle with manufacturing expansion

    North Macedonia is entering a new investment cycle with major projects in automotive, battery production, and high-tech sectors, involving companies like BMZ Group and Dravo Automotiv.

Sources

192.com · 24-ore.com · 360stepeni.mk · a1on.mk · alfa.mk · almakos.com · biznisvesti.mk · boursa.info · capital.gr · centar.mk · denar.mk · denesen.mk · e-79.com · ekonomijaibiznis.mk · ekoturk.com · en.protothema.gr · energetskiportal.ba · europafm.ro · expres.mk · faktiditor.ch · greekcitytimes.com · hn24.hnonline.sk · iefimerida.gr · informim.net · insider.gr · investitor.me · istokpress.mk · jugoinfo.mk · koha.mk · kosovoenergy.com · lajmpress.org · lawforall.co.za · lider.mk · lideri.mk · lokalno.mk · makfax.com.mk · makpress.mk · miroslavaarpasova.blog.sme.sk · n1info.rs · nacionalno.mk · newmoney.gr · nezavisen.mk · novamakedonija.com.mk · opserver.mk · ot.gr · panoptikum.mk · pari.com.mk · plusinfo.mk

This summary has been updated 23 times: see revision history