Kosovo - Winning Its Independence but Losing Its People? Recent Evidence on Emigration Intentions

Abstract

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in February 2008, but substantial proportions of its population are expressing their lack of confidence by preparing to emigrate. In this paper we present evidence from a customized post-independence survey (1367 face-to face interviews) on emigration intentions in Kosovo, carried out in June 2008. 30 % of the Albanian-speaking-majority respondents have taken concrete steps to move abroad, and emigration intentions have again risen to their pre-independence peak. Strikingly, it is the better educated and those with higher incomes that are more likely to exit. Ethnic Serbs (the largest minority group) are less likely to emigrate than Kosovo’s ethnic majority.Kosovo, emigration intentions, brain-drain, determinants of emigration decision, ethnic minorities