Western Balkans Competitiveness Outlook 2024: Regional Profile
Although the economic competitiveness gap is closing gradually, the standards of living in the Western Balkan economies are well below those of the OECD and EU. Accelerating the rate of socio-economic convergence will require a holistic and growth oriented approach to policy making.
This study of the region assesses policy reforms in the WB economies across 15 policy areas key to strengthening their competitiveness. It enables WB economies to compare economic performance against regional peers, as well as EU-OECD good practices and standards, and to design future policies based on rich evidence and actionable policy recommendations.
The regional profile presents assessment findings across five policy clusters crucial to accelerating socio-economic convergence of the WB6 by fostering regional co-operation: business environment, skills, infrastructure and connectivity, digital transformation and greening.