The newly released Annual Convergence Report 2025 – Western Balkans, prepared by Zoran Nechev (Think Europe) and Branimir Jovanovic (wiiw) offers a comprehensive, data-driven assessment across 8 key pillars: economy, social outcomes, health, education, governance, environment, digitalisation, and infrastructure.
Key takeaways:
• Digitalisation stands out as the region’s strongest area — with several economies potentially reaching EU levels within a generation.
• Health, education, and governance remain relatively solid, but progress is uneven and, in some cases, stalling.
• Economic convergence is slow — with some countries still decades (or more) away from EU averages.
• Infrastructure and environment are the biggest bottlenecks, with no meaningful convergence in sight under current trends.
One striking insight: depending on the policy pathway — from full EU membership to access to the single market or EU funds — convergence timelines can shift dramatically.
The message is clear: convergence is not automatic. It requires sustained reforms, targeted investments, and credible integration pathways.
For policymakers, practitioners, and anyone working on EU enlargement or regional development, this report is a valuable resource for understanding where the region stands — and what needs to change.
Download the report here.
For more insights and country reports, visit www.converge2eu/reports