Business Facts

Ecommerce data in CEFTA region

General E-commerce Relevant Statistics Overview

Today’s composition of The Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) has been reduced to the Western Balkan economies of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Moldova (not belonging to the Western Balkan blocк). Market profiles including geography, general indicators for demographics, economy, business, and of course e-commerce are presented on this platform to give an overview of relevant information in a user-friendly and easy-to-understand manner and serve existing and new companies in e-commerce.

The total population of the CEFTA region is less than 20 million people (Montenegro has the lowest and Serbia has the largest population). The size of the population that is used for calculation of the indicators is the “use of the internet as a percentage of the population aged 16-64” and “internet use for purchasing goods and services as a percentage of internet users”. To complete the image of economic power we add GDP per capita, and PPP (current international $). All markets are in the group of upper-middle-income economies, with Kosovo* the poorest with the smallest GDP per capita and Montenegro the highest among them. See more market facts

Other sections

The Ease of Doing Business Index published by the World Bank lasted from its first report in 2003 through its final one in 2020. As of 2023, the most recent report is the final one from 2020. In addition, we present some indicators important for business like:

Ease of doing business rank (1=most business-friendly regulations);
Ease of doing business score;
Starting a business rank
Procedures (number)
Score-Paying taxes
Total tax and contribution rate (% of profit)
Trading across borders rank
Cost to export: Documentary compliance (USD)
Cost to import: Documentary compliance (USD)
Cost to export: Border compliance (USD)
Cost to import: Border compliance (USD)

Ease of doing business rank (1=most business-friendly regulations)

The “Ease of Doing Business rank” gives a glimpse of the climate for conducting business across markets. North Macedonia is ranked the best in the CEFTA region (#17) and Bosnia and Herzegovina the worst (#90).

Ease of doing business score (1=most business-friendly regulations)

The indicator “Ease of doing business score” ranges from the lowest (65.4) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the highest (80.7) in North Macedonia.

Starting a business Rank

The “Starting a business” rank is the best in Kosovo (#12) and worst in Bosnia and Herzegovina (#184).

Procedures (number)

The “Number of Procedures for starting a business” is lowest in Kosovo and Moldova (3) and the highest number is required in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Score-Paying taxes

The “Paying taxes” scores are lowest in Moldova (32) and highest in Bosnia and Herzegovina (141).

Total tax and contribution rate (% of profit)

The total tax and contribution rate (% of profit) is best in North Macedonia (13) and worst in Moldova (38.7).

Rank-Trading across borders

The “Trading across borders” rank is best in Serbia (#23) and worst in Montenegro (#41).

Cost to export: Documentary compliance (USD)

The Cost to export: Documentary compliance is lowest in Albania (10 USD) and highest in Kosovo (50 USD).

Cost to import: Documentary compliance (USD)

The Cost to import: Documentary compliance is lowest in Albania (10 USD) and highest in Montenegro (60 USD).

Cost to export: Border compliance (USD)

Cost to export: Border compliance is lowest in Serbia (47.3 USD) and highest in Kosovo (105 USD).

Cost to import: Border compliance (USD)

Cost to import: Border compliance is lowest in Serbia 52 (USD) and highest in Montenegro (305.6 USD).

* Source: World Bank 2023, last data available from 2020 * This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Next section - Indicators for E-commerce readiness