The Balkans lose more than four billion euros annually as a result of the brain drain, which significantly affects the gross domestic product (GDP) of the countries of the region, according to research by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

The United Nations estimates that by 2050 the six countries of the Western Balkans will have about three million fewer inhabitants than they have now. Serbia will suffer the biggest loss, of about 1,2 million inhabitants. In terms of percentage, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania lead the way, which will lose more than 20 percent of their population by the middle of the century, according to the report.

As for Macedonia, according to UN estimates, the country's population of 1.836.000 will decrease to 1.519.000, which is a drop of 17,3 percent.

This trend seriously threatens the long-term economic growth and productivity of countries in the region, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania, the document states.

The Banja Luka portal "Srpska-info" recalls the data of "Eurostat" that by 2050 the population of the Balkans will decrease by more than 15 percent, due to the low birth rate and mass migrations.

"The result of this is an aging population, where fewer and fewer working-age people have to support a growing number of retirees." In Serbia, the average age of the population is already 43 years, and in Croatia even 45 years, which represents a great burden for the pension system and health care", the text states.

According to World Bank data, in the last ten years alone, more than 2,5 million people left the countries of the Western Balkans in search of better living conditions in Western Europe.

One of the key problems of migration in the region is the departure of highly educated young people, specialists in IT, engineering, medicine and other key sectors.

According to data from 2021, more than 70 percent of young people in BiH are thinking about leaving, while similar statistics show that in Serbia, according to research by the Center for Migration Studies, about 80 percent of young people want to leave in search of better opportunities.

Due to the departure abroad, the health sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing a serious shortage of doctors and medical personnel.

At the same time, according to the data of the Chamber of Doctors of the Federation of BiH, from 2013 to 2020, more than five thousand doctors left BiH.

Investments in the education and vocational training of young people become futile if they continue their career outside the borders of their country, the portal assesses.

As an example, the fact that BiH annually invests over 150 million convertible marks (about 77 million euros) in the education of highly educated specialists, but a large part of this investment benefits Western economies that absorb skilled labor.

Although the trend of brain drain seems irreversible, it added, there are positive examples of returning experts to the region.

According to the data of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH, in the past five years more than 15.000 people, mostly highly educated experts, have returned to the country through various return support programs.

Initiatives such as "Diaspora for Development", supported by UNDP and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, have managed to attract experts from the diaspora to get involved in the development of local communities through education and opening new businesses.

Examples of successful returns and investments in local communities show that, although migrations are a challenge, they can also become an opportunity for long-term development if managed in the right way, the text concludes.