Annual Report 2023

Highlights

In 2023, UNICEF continued working with our partners in Kosovo1 to ensure that every young child has access to quality health services and nurturing care, that all children have access to quality learning from pre-primary to secondary education, that all children – but particularly the most vulnerable – are protected from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, and that adolescents and young people acquire the right skills for active participation in work and life.

Kosovo’s recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been affected by the war in Ukraine, which increased the cost of living and energy prices. Kosovo also experienced the worst floods in several decades in early 2023, affecting around 22,000 people nationwide. Climate change and environmental degradation, including air pollution, are making disasters like this more frequent in Kosovo, and continuing to affect children’s health and well-being.

Neonatal, infant, and child mortality rates in Kosovo are triple the European Union average, and remain the highest in the region – with a child mortality rate of 16 per 1,000 according to Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) data and nearly twice as high for Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities (27 children per 1,000).

Childhood immunization coverage has started recovering after setbacks during COVID-19, but vaccination coverage among marginalized groups remains a concern.
Improving the quality of education and aligning it with labour market needs remains a key challenge. Public spending on education was 4.7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020. Kosovo fell almost to the bottom of the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test results, ranking 76th of 80 participating countries for reading, 77th for science and 74th for mathematics.

Nearly one-third (33.7%) of those aged 15 to 24 years in Kosovo are not in education, employment or training (NEET). This figure is 34.9% for young females, compared with 32.7% for young males. The gender gap in labor force participation in Kosovo is significantly higher than in neighboring countries and among European Union members, with only 17.1 per cent of women employed, compared to 50.8 per cent of men, according to 2022 data.

Children with disabilities lack proper access to education as well as other services. More financial support is needed to scale up educational as well as social and health services for children with disabilities. 

UNICEF continued supporting Kosovo institutions and civil society in their efforts to address these important challenges facing children throughout 2023, as described in the report.