A fifth of young people in Montenegro - 20,59 percent of them - expressed their desire to leave the country due to poor social, living and economic standards and conditions, according to the results of the Study on young people from Southeast Europe in 2024 by the "Friedrich Ebert" Foundation.
The research was conducted on a sample of 8.943 young people from Southeast Europe, aged 14 to 29, and showed that 23 percent of them see a better salary as one of the key reasons for moving out of the country.
"This suggests that factors specific to one country, such as economic conditions, political stability and social conditions, play a key role in shaping the emigration intentions of young individuals," writes the Study on the Youth of Southeast Europe.
Of all the countries of Southeastern Europe, there are the most young people in North Macedonia - 42,67 percent of them, who want to leave the country. 31,18 percent of young individuals who want to emigrate were recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 36,95 percent in Albania. In Croatia, 21,62 percent of young people expressed the need to leave the country. The situation is similar in Kosovo, where 27,83 percent of young people are dissatisfied with living standards. In Serbia and Slovenia, 25 percent of young people showed the need to leave the country, and in Greece, that number is 31,26 percent. The situation in Bulgaria and Romania is, however, different and it turned out that young people show the least desire to emigrate.
67 percent of respondents pointed out that economic factors and opportunities play an important role in the emigration of young people.
"The analysis of emigration motives draws attention to economic factors, where more than two-thirds (67,13 percent) of respondents highlighted financial and professional progress as reasons for emigration. The desire to improve living standards is cited as the primary motive for 27,78 percent of respondents... Better employment opportunities (11,44 percent) and more educational opportunities (seven percent) are the other reasons why young people decide to leave the country... ", the research states.
For 62 percent of respondents, corruption is the biggest problem their countries will face in the next decade, followed by unemployment and emigration. Young people often encounter corruption in the educational system for the first time, as many as 61 percent of respondents believe that grades and exams at institutions and universities in their countries can be bought.
According to that survey, women show a greater willingness to improve their own standard of living (29,97 percent) and put more emphasis on educational opportunities (8,46 percent).
"Contrary to them, men are worried about corruption and clientelism in the state, with seven percent citing it as the main reason for emigration. Cultural factors are also prevalent among women," the document states.
Trust in democracy as a political system, it says, is declining across the region, but young people still largely support democratic values.
The "Friedrich" foundation said that young people who live in countries that are not members of the European Union (EU) show a greater response when it comes to voting in elections.
"... Compared to their peers in EU member states. Possible membership in the EU still arouses optimism in the countries of the region that are not members, and many young people associate the EU with a better future. In contrast, young people within the EU countries are becoming more and more pessimistic when it comes to the current economic situation and the labor market in their countries," they said.
As it is written in the research, if Southeast Europe wants to achieve significant economic progress, "it will have to pay attention to the voice and choice of young people who are key in this".
"Only by understanding and solving complex situations that affect young people's attitudes and attitudes towards democracy, political participation and emigration, decision-makers and leaders of the civil sector and society can work to create a more inclusive, prosperous and democratically stronger South-Eastern part of Europe", the research concludes.
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