Experts on economic matters assess that public statements in the international arena by the acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti often raise serious questions about the accuracy of the data used to describe Kosovo’s economic reality. A recent example, according to them, is a statement made today in London by Kurti, in which he mentioned that Kosovo’s average annual economic growth during the 2020–2024 period was 6 percent.
Economic expert Isa Krasniqi emphasizes that, according to official data published by the relevant statistical institutions, the real growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the same period averages 3.6 percent, which he says is much lower than what was publicly claimed.
Former CEO of the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, Isa Krasniqi, wrote on Facebook that official economic graphs and reports confirm this 3.6 percent figure, raising concerns about misinformation, artificially inflated expectations, and the manipulation of data for political or propagandistic purposes.
“Why do they lie and manipulate so much with official statistics?! The official statistics graph below shows that the country’s average annual GDP growth in Kosovo during the 2020–2024 period is 3.6%, not 6% as someone claimed today in London,” Krasniqi wrote on Facebook.
According to a Facebook announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office, today Kurti met with the Albanian diaspora in London and highlighted economic growth averaging 6 percent.
“Economic growth averaging 6 percent, while budget revenues have increased, citizens and productive entrepreneurs have been supported, and trade links and investments from the United Kingdom have been strengthened,” Kurti was quoted as saying in this announcement.
Yesterday, Kurti also stated that in the last four years, the country’s average economic growth has been around 6%, while according to the IMF, Kosovo will continue to be the leader in the region this year in terms of economic growth.
“This has been achieved, among other things, thanks to the doubling of foreign direct investments, the doubling of exports, and the reduction of unemployment. Prime Minister Kurti added that, following the German model, in Kosovo as well, we are linking education to the labor market through the dual system,” Kurti was quoted as saying yesterday in a communication from the Government of Kosovo after a meeting with members of the German Association for the United Nations (DGVN).
Separately, a few days ago, the World Bank predicted a decrease in economic growth from 3.6 percent in 2024 to 3 percent in 2025 for Western Balkan countries.
According to the World Bank’s latest report, the largest decline is forecasted for Kosovo, which nevertheless remains slightly above the regional average.
