The subjective well-being of ethnic Albanians in Macedonia

Macedonia is a multiethnic country that gained independence peacefully from Yugoslavia. Tensions between the Albanian minority (which represents approximately a quarter of the population) and Macedonians led to an eight-month insurgency in 2001 started by a group of Albanian insurgents. The conclusion of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, designed to improve minority rights, ended the conflict. Besides ethnic tension, Macedonia has faced other challenges like grand corruption, unemployment, brain drain, and more. This study examines demographic and socio-economic variables affecting the subjective well-being (SWB) of eight well-educated and well-connected Albanians from Macedonia. Through a qualitative (i.e. Skype interviews) and quantitative (i.e. surveys) analysis, it can be concluded that the leading factors (i.e. unemployment, corruption, institutional trust, and membership in voluntary organizations) affecting their SWB are also those that also impact Macedonia’s general population. Although the participants had high interpersonal trust and high ethnic identity, the role of ethnicity’s impact on SWB is inconclusive.