The Middle-Income Trap: Macedonia at 43% of the EU Standard, Only Bosnia Is Behind
According to central bank data, Macedonia has one of the lowest levels of GDP per capita in the region — only Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks below it, and at the current pace of growth, closing the gap with the EU standard is measured in decades.
The National Bank released data showing Macedonia has one of the lowest levels of GDP per capita in the region — only Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks below it. According to calculations also highlighted by SDSM, Macedonia's GDP per capita stands at just 43% of the European Union average.
The key problem isn't just the current level, but the pace of catching up — analyses show that at the current growth rate, Macedonia would need decades to reach the European average, while neighboring countries like Serbia, Albania and Bulgaria, according to regional comparisons, are closing the gap with the EU faster. This is a classic symptom of the "middle-income trap" — a state in which an economy stops growing rapidly after clearing the lowest development threshold, but fails to break into a higher category.
The debate over the exact figures remains politically charged — the National Bank governor was previously criticized for "dressing up" minimum wage data with selective figures, suggesting the discussion over the country's real economic position is more than a statistical question — it's also a political instrument in the debate over how fast, or how slowly, the country is actually developing.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 6, 2026
