North Macedonia
Europe · Southeast Europe
EU and NATO member aspirant, with affordable Balkan living and historic Skopje.
Backpacker
Ideal destination
At a Glance
📈North Macedonia's Human Development Index
0.765
High human development#83 of 191 countries worldwide, #41 of 44 in Europe.
Higher than 57% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.
UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita.
Closest indicators in this dataset
World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.
Nearest countries by HDI
Full HDI ranking, all 191 countries →North Macedonia
North Macedonia is a small landlocked Balkan country with a beautiful mountain interior, the ancient city of Ohrid on its glacial lake, and a culture that sits at the crossroads of Orthodox Christian, Ottoman, and South Slavic influences. The food is hearty and honest, the landscape is dramatic and largely unexplored by outsiders, and the people are direct and hospitable. It suits travellers who enjoy Balkan culture and want to discover somewhere genuinely undercrowded.
- Changed its official name in 2019 after a 27-year dispute with Greece.
- Alexander the Great is claimed by both North Macedonia and Greece — neither concedes.
Quick Facts
Capital
Skopje
Language
Macedonian
Currency
den MKD
Area
25,220 km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
54Mbps
Mobile
158Mbps
GDP / Capita
$10K
PPP / Capita
$28K
Inflation
4.1%
Unemployment
12.3%
Innovation (GII)
29.8
GNI / Capita
$9K
Tax Revenue
18.8%
FDI Inflows
3.5%
Cost of Living
35.5
Price Level Index
65th pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1995
0.644 → 0.765 (+0.121)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 28 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.
Twenty years here
Year by year →The world report →World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).
Thinking about North Macedonia for real?
The matcher weighs your budget, timeline and dealbreakers against the same data on this page, then answers with the places that actually fit.
Find your match →
💬Quick answers
What is North Macedonia's Human Development Index?
North Macedonia's Human Development Index is 0.765 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #83 of 191 countries.
Is North Macedonia safe?
North Macedonia scores 1.79 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #46 of 160 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.
How expensive is North Macedonia?
Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts North Macedonia at 35.5 (New York = 100); that is #47 cheapest of 143 countries with data.
What is life expectancy in North Macedonia?
Life expectancy at birth in North Macedonia is 76.6 yrs (World Bank), ranked #71 of 195 countries.
What is the quality of life in North Macedonia?
Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores North Macedonia at 124.2, ranked #59 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.