Lost Generations Losing Generation: the Consequences of the Demographic Crisis in the Western Balkans

The countries of the Western Balkans are facing a serious demographic crisis due to a declining birth rate that is in line with European trends, and the situation is exacerbated by high levels of migration, mainly towards the European Union. A cheap, well-educated labour force from the Balkans has been working as guest workers in Western European countries since the late 1960s, a tradition that has continued and even intensified since then. The exodus of the population, especially young and skilled workers, is already leading to labour shortages in the region, which discourages the inflow of FDI that would be essential for development. Outlining the current demographic trends, this paper concludes that the demographic crisis in the Western Balkans is irreversible; governments are failing to provide adequate incentives to increase birth rates, while labour and brain drain increases.