Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Albania instead of Bulgaria, you would:

Health

live 3.9 years longer

In Bulgaria, the average life expectancy is 76 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022. In Albania, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

be 13.2% less likely to be obese

In Bulgaria, 25.0% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Albania, that number is 21.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 42.6% less money

Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $27,000 as of 2022, while in Albania, the GDP per capita is $15,500 as of 2022.

be 2.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In Bulgaria, 4.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Albania, that number is 11.6% as of 2022.

pay a 2.3 times higher top tax rate

Bulgaria has a top tax rate of 10.0% as of 2016. In Albania, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 55.7% more children

In Bulgaria, there are approximately 7.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Albania, there are 12.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 35.6% more likely to die during infancy

In Bulgaria, approximately 8.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Albania, on the other hand, 10.8 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 22.5% less on education

Bulgaria spends 4.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Albania spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 21.2% less on healthcare

Bulgaria spends 8.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Albania, that number is 6.7% of GDP as of 2018.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria, Albanian Taxation Office.

Albania: At a glance

Albania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 27,398 sq km. Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939, and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, each of Albania's post-communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. In 2013, general elections achieved a peaceful transition of power and a second successive coalition government. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.
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How big is Albania compared to Bulgaria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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