Nearly half of North Macedonians cannot afford a one-week holiday
In 2025, 48% of adults in North Macedonia could not afford a one-week holiday — well above the EU average of 27.5%.
Nearly half of adults in North Macedonia were unable to afford a one-week holiday away from home in 2025: 48% of people aged 16 and over could not set aside money for a week-long annual break, according to recent figures.
The national share is far above the European Union average, where 27.5% of the population reported they could not afford a one-week holiday. Across the region, the highest shares were recorded in Romania (61%), Montenegro (58%), Albania (53%) and Turkey (51%). Greece stood at 47%, close to North Macedonia's level.
Several countries in Northern and Southeastern Europe — including several EU candidate states — also show elevated rates of what analysts call "deprivation of holiday". After North Macedonia and Greece, Bulgaria and Hungary each report 39% of residents unable to afford a week away; Serbia and Italy register 36%; Croatia 33%; Spain 32%; and Portugal 33%.
By contrast, the wealthiest European states record much lower shares. In Switzerland and Norway only 9% of the population cannot afford a one-week holiday. Luxembourg, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and Slovenia report rates of 15% or less. Germany's share is 21%, while France's is 23%.
Decade-long trend and explanations
On the EU level the situation has improved over the past decade: in 2025, 27.5% of EU residents could not afford a one-week holiday, down from 35.2% in 2015. The share was even higher in 2012, when it reached 40.5%; by 2019 it had fallen to roughly 28% and has since remained around 27–28%.
Although most countries have made progress — 25 out of 30 in the comparison saw a decline in the share of people unable to afford a holiday between 2015 and 2025 — five countries experienced a deterioration.
Experts link the ability to take a holiday closely to household incomes and the broader economic strength of a country: higher disposable income makes it easier for families to cover travel, accommodation and other vacation-related costs, while countries with lower incomes and larger inequalities tend to show higher shares of people unable to finance a one-week annual holiday.
Photo: press material from the event
