Anti-LGBTQ discrimination harms economies of Serbia, North Macedonia
BY AMARILDO FECANJI | On Sept. 26, 2023, the World Bank published two research reports on the economic cost of excluding lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people in North Macedonia and Serbia.
The research study was conducted closely with the regional LGBTI network association ERA. The studies estimate that the annual financial loss due to SOGIESC-based exclusion totals 0.6 percent of North Macedonia’s and Serbia’s GDP.
In addition, the research estimates the fiscal yearly loss totaling approximately 0.1 percent of the 2021 GDP in the Republic of Serbia and 0.13 percent of the GDP in North Macedonia.
In the Western Balkan region, just like in many other countries, LGBTI people continue to face discrimination and exclusion, which limits their ability to reach their full potential in different areas of life, including education, employment, and physical and mental health.
