OECD Economic Convergence Scoreboard for the Western Balkans 2023

 

‌

 

Over the past two decades, the Western Balkans have made significant strides in economic growth and in their journey towards economic convergence with the EU. From 2003 to 2022, the average GDP per capita in the region increased by 79%, climbing from USD 9,725 to USD 17,400. However, despite these advancements, the Western Balkans' GDP per capita still lags behind, standing at only slightly over one-third (38%) of the EU and OECD averages. While this does mark an 11-percentage point increase from the 27% observed in 2003, it underscores the considerable ground that the region must cover to achieve full economic convergence. In fact, if the Western Balkans maintained their current growth rates, it would require until 2076 to reach complete economic convergence with the EU.

 

In this context, the OECD South East Regional Programme prepared the Economic Convergence Scoreboard for the Western Balkans 2023 to identify the precise areas where policymakers should channel their efforts to accelerate sustainable economic growth. The Scoreboard showcases the region’s economic convergence towards both OECD standards/good practices and EU economic indicators across five clusters:

 

business environment, skills, connectivity & infrastructure, greening and digitalisation.

 

The Scoreboard draws on data and inputs collected over a decade as part of the OECD’s comprehensive policy assessments, notably the Western Balkans Competitiveness Outlook and the SME Policy Index for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.  It will continue to evolve through expanded data and analyses, in particular within the framework of the preparations of the Western Balkans Competitiveness Outlook 2024. 

 

Explore the Scoreboard.

 

Read the two-pager summary of the Scoreboard.