Well-being is not enough to compare with the past

We often hear politicians, analysts, or even professionals and individuals with a comfortable standard of living say, “We are now better off than before.”

This kind of comparison is not just flawed; it is mostly dangerous and intellectually inappropriate. It creates a narrative that justifies policy failures and hides reality. Well-being is not measured merely through retrospective comparison, but by the real ability of policies to leverage natural and human resources to improve citizens’ quality of life.

As Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize winner in Economics, has argued, “development is not just economic growth, but the expansion of individuals’ freedoms and capabilities to live the life they truly value.” Policies that do not provide real opportunities do not help citizens reach their potential—just as an individual with great talent, education, and energy who cannot find the opportunity to build their career or contribute to society cannot be considered fulfilled.

In this context, comparison with the past is not only inappropriate but also harmful, because it justifies economic and social stagnation and ignores the fact that the country’s resources—both natural and, more importantly, human and intellectual—could be used to build real and sustainable well-being.

Economy and Youth Emigration: An indicator of real well-being

Albania has significant economic potential, with fertile land for intensive and sustainable agriculture, strategically valuable mineral resources, and a tourism potential that could rival far more developed destinations. Yet, the country’s economy remains fragmented, and informal employment is high, hindering the growth of real well-being.

This situation directly affects young people, creating a lack of real opportunities for employment and professional advancement, pushing them to emigrate. According to INSTAT and World Bank data, over the past 10 years, more than 500,000 young Albanians have left the country, taking with them the nation’s most valuable human capital. This outflow is not merely a demographic statistic; it reflects a lack of real well-being.

Young people cannot find opportunities to realize themselves personally or professionally within their own country.

To understand the contrast, we can look at countries like Slovenia and Estonia. Slovenia, with more limited natural resources, has invested in vocational education and technology, built a sustainable support network for young entrepreneurs, and improved digital infrastructure, creating real opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Estonia, on the other hand, has transformed digitalization and e-governance into engines of economic development, providing opportunities for its youth and preventing massive outflows of human capital.

Unlike these models, Albania continues to rely mainly on remittances and foreign investment to maintain relative well-being. This fragile balance does not create a sustainable perspective and does not strategically utilize the country’s human and natural resources. The result is a cycle in which a slow economy, informal employment, and youth emigration keep the country in a state of “relative well-being” that is not real. Citizens do not benefit from the country’s full potential, and young people, who are the hope for long-term development, leave.

Ultimately, this shows that well-being cannot be measured only by relative indicators from the past. It must be measured by the country’s ability to create real opportunities for citizens, to use the resources it has, and to prevent the loss of human capital. Youth emigration is the clearest indicator that current policies have failed in this regard.

Education and Employment: A measure of well-being not to be underestimated

While the budget for formal education has nominally increased, the quality provided often falls short of labor market standards. New universities produce degrees without practical skills, while vocational and technological programs are not aligned with the economy’s real needs. As a result, young people do not find opportunities for professional development within the country and are forced to emigrate.

In contrast, Croatia has used clear strategies to link education with the labor market: investments in vocational education, technology, and youth entrepreneurship programs have increased employment opportunities and reduced talent emigration. This clearly shows that intellectual and strategic policies can directly influence citizens’ real well-being.

Healthcare and Public Services: Quality over Quantity

While major hospitals in urban centers have been modernized, rural health centers remain minimally equipped. Investments are often focused on visible projects for political propaganda rather than improving services for citizens. For example, people in remote areas must travel tens of kilometers for basic treatment, increasing costs and lost time.

In countries like Slovakia and Portugal, governments have built comprehensive, accessible, and equitable healthcare systems, improving real well-being and reducing disparities between urban and rural areas. This model shows that strategic investment and good governance in healthcare are key factors for increasing well-being.

Use of natural resources, from short-term gains to long-term development

Albania has considerable mineral and tourism resources, but investments are often oriented toward short-term profits, favoring private interests over local communities. Hydropower and tourism projects often fail to create sustainable development, and many areas miss the opportunity to develop local economies based on sustainable tourism or industries.

In contrast, Montenegro, with far more limited natural resources, has developed sustainable tourism and created a support network for local entrepreneurship, turning its limited potential into a source of real and long-term well-being. This example shows that it is not the quantity of resources, but the way they are managed, that determines the level of well-being.

Current Situation vs. Well-Being that could have been achieved

Dimension	Current Situation in Albania	Ideal Situation (examples from similar countries)
Education & Employment	Universities often produce degrees without practical skills; weak labor market link; massive youth emigration	Croatia: investments in vocational and technological education; direct labor market alignment; reduced emigration
Healthcare	Modern hospitals only in major cities; rural centers minimal; fragmented investments for propaganda	Slovakia/Portugal: comprehensive, equitable, accessible healthcare nationwide
Use of Natural Resources	Focus on short-term gains; projects favor private interests; unsustainable development	Montenegro: sustainable tourism and local projects; entrepreneurship and community well-being growth
Human Capital	Massive outflow of educated youth; lack of real opportunities	Slovenia/Estonia: investments in youth opportunities; innovation and career development domestically
Real Well-Being	Reliance on remittances and foreign investment; relative, not real, well-being	Creation of sustainable life and real opportunities for citizens; improved living standards and social stability

This table makes clear that the gap between current well-being and what could have been achieved is not merely retrospective; it reflects the real impact of policies, investments, and resource management.

Why comparison with the past is harmful?

The often-repeated narrative “We were worse off, now we are better” is not just simple rhetoric. It creates a false legitimacy for policies that have not improved citizens’ real well-being. This quick and superficial comparison hinders critical reflection and is often used to justify stagnation and the lack of necessary reforms.

Firstly, it legitimizes failure. Any policy that fails to leverage the country’s natural and human resources is seen as a “success” simply because the situation is better than in the 1990s. For citizens who face high prices, insecure employment, and lack of basic services daily, this comparison is not only unfair but also frustrating. It hides the fact that the country’s potential remains untapped and hope for a better life is scarce.

Secondly, it fosters citizen apathy. When people believe “we are better than before,” they begin to accept their situation as sufficient. Many young people feel it is pointless to seek change, because the relative standard of well-being gives them a false sense of comfort. They see that policies do not create real opportunities to live the life they desire, generating a frustrating sense of powerlessness.

In fact, comparison with the past masks current suffering and prevents any effort to build sustainable policies. It is like looking only at the tip of an iceberg, ignoring thousands who face insecure livelihoods, youth emigration, and lack of hope. Well-being cannot be assessed by looking only at where we were; it must be measured by real standards: how citizens can live, what opportunities they have, and how strategically the country’s resources are used to serve society.

Well-being is not measured by nostalgia for the past, but by the capacity of policy to transform the country’s resources into real life for its citizens. Failed policies that do not create opportunities for youth, do not sustainably improve education and healthcare, and do not wisely manage natural resources should not be justified by retrospective comparisons.

If Albania is to build real well-being, it must be measured by external and internal standards.

How have other countries with similar resources created opportunities and prevented youth emigration?

The answer is that other countries have stopped youth emigration by investing in quality education and professional skills, creating real employment opportunities, supporting local entrepreneurship, and managing natural and human resources strategically.