Breaking the Cycle of Roma Exclusion in the Western Balkans

The Roma are the largest ethnic minority in Europe, as well as one of the most deprived and socially excluded groups. Because of the lack of high-quality data, research on Roma inclusion to inform evidence-based policies is scarce, and accurate data on programs implemented in the Western Balkans are needed. This report aims to fill this knowledge gap and inform policy making by relying on data from the 2011 and 2017 rounds of the Regional Roma Survey (RRS), the most comprehensive survey to date on living conditions and human development outcomes among marginalized Roma households in the Western Balkans, as well as non-Roma neighboring households. The results show that marginalized Roma in the Western Balkans do not have the endowments and assets they need nor the ability to use the assets they have efficiently and intensively to generate economic gains and climb the socioeconomic ladder. Gaps with respect to non-Roma neighbors are especially wide in education and labor markets, and, in general, there is generally little improvement between the two survey years in access to services and economic opportunities. The report provides policy directions, highlighting gender and discrimination as cross-cutting policy areas. It also suggests a pragmatic approach towards generating evidence-based policies through better monitoring and evaluation and collection of ethnically-disaggregated administrative data. Finally, a comprehensive and integrated lifecycle approach is also encouraged