From denouncing poverty to Eurostat figures: In Albania, nearly 45% of families with children face social risk

When he was in opposition, Prime Minister Edi Rama repeatedly raised his voice against the anomalies of the governance of that time. But after taking power, the problems he once opposed seem to continue to follow him during his own leadership.

Fifteen years ago, Rama described it as unacceptable that in Albania in 2011, poverty denied children even milk. Meanwhile, statistics published during his government show that the situation has not changed.

“There cannot be children in Albania in 2011 who cannot wet their lips with milk because of poverty—this is intolerable, unforgivable,” Rama said.

A report published by Eurostat in May 2026 showed that almost 45% of families with dependent children in Albania are at risk of poverty, suffer from severe material and social deprivation, or belong to households with very low work intensity.

“Poverty among Albanian families with children is much higher than in the region. In Montenegro, 34.8% of families with children are at risk of poverty, the second highest in Europe after Albania. In Serbia, only 21.4% of families with children are at risk of poverty,” the report states.