13322164-d4ca-4ea9-a58f-91f8a19fae8f20231013051007686wseas:wseasmdt@crossref.orgMDT DepositWSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS2224-28991109-952610.37394/23207http://wseas.org/wseas/cms.action?id=4016972022123120222010.37394/23207.2023.20https://wseas.com/journals/bae/2023.phpCauses of the “brain drain” Problem in Selected Western Balkan CountriesAnaTopalovićFaculty of Business and Economics, Department of Statistics and Operation Analysis, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, CZECH REPUBLICDavidHampelFaculty of Business and Economics, Department of Statistics and Operation Analysis, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, CZECH REPUBLICThis paper deals with the identification of the factors that influence the emigration of young and highly educated people from Western Balkan countries. Indicators of the quality of economic, political, and educational systems in Western Balkan countries and target countries were used for this purpose. A comparison of Western Balkan countries with EU countries was provided via a cluster analysis. Cross-sectional and panel data regression point to important indicators affecting emigration. An important finding was that for highly educated people not only economic indicators but also political environment and educational system quality are significant factors, which influence emigration.101320231013202323002314198https://wseas.com/journals/bae/2023/e045107-031(2023).pdf10.37394/23207.2023.20.198https://wseas.com/journals/bae/2023/e045107-031(2023).pdfLandesmann, M. & Mara, I., Massive Migration and its Effect on Human Capital and Growth: The Case of Western Balkan and Central and Eastern European Countries, wiiw Balkan Observatory Working Paper, Vol.124, 2016. Horvat, V., Brain Drain. Threat to Successful Transition in South-East Europe?, Alumni Association of the Center for Interdisciplinary, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, 2004. 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