The data presented in this visualizer are based on an opinion polls which surveyed 1,307 respondents in Kosovo over the age of 18. The sample included same number of men and women from all Kosovan municipalities and regions, covering both urban and rural areas. In terms of ethnic representation, the sample included 896 Kosovo Albanians, 210 Kosovo Serbs, and 201 members of other Kosovo communities (Kosovo Ashkali, Kosovo Bosniaks, Kosovo Egyptians, Kosovo Gorani, Kosovo Roma, and Kosovo Turks). The survey was based on a multi-staged random probability sampling and was conducted through face-to-face interviews. The sample is representative of households in Kosovo.[1]

Weighting Population Totals

Public Pulse polls oversample minorities in order to disaggregate data by ethnicity. However, when calculating total numbers, the Public Pulse team weights data by actual population figures. Since 2002, the following percentages for weighting the population totals have been used:

●        Kosovo Albanians: 88%;

●        Kosovo Serbs: 6%;

●        Members of other Kosovo communities: 6%.

According to the 2011 population census and official data from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, the current ethnic composition in Kosovo is the following:

If these figures were to be followed for the Public Pulse polls, weighting would be the following:

● Kosovo Albanians: 93%;

● Kosovo Serbs: 2%;

● Members of Other Kosovo Communities: 5%.

However, considering that Kosovo Serbs in the northern Kosovo had not participated in the 2011 Census, along with the general observation that the participation rate of Kosovo Serbs in the rest of Kosovo was lower, the need to add another 34,000 Kosovo Serbs was estimated, bringing the total number of Kosovo Serbs considered for the purposes of this study to 59,532. This also increased the total population of Kosovo to 1,773,825. When these changes were taken into consideration, the weighting in the Public Pulse polls was applied in the following manner:

● Kosovo Albanians: 92%;

● Kosovo Serbs: 4%;

● Members of Other Kosovo Communities (Kosovo Ashkali, Kosovo Bosniaks, Kosovo Egyptians, Kosovo Gorani, Kosovo Roma, and Kosovo Turks): 4%.

Calculation of Indices

The DI is a composite average based on respondents’ level of agreement or disagreement with the following developments in Kosovo: extent of free and fair elections, Assembly monitoring, the performance of central institutions, independence of the judiciary system, freedom of expression and media, existence of a watchdog civil society, human rights-based Constitution and laws, and whether local and central government work according to citizens’ priorities. The DI is a continuous measure which ranges from 0 to 3 where a score of 0 means that no respondents consider democratization to be on the right track and a score of 3 means that all respondents fully agree that democratization is on the right track.

The ECI is a composite average which is calculated based on the respondents’ evaluation of favorable or unfavorable economic conditions in Kosovo. Specifically, respondents evaluate the following conditions: expectations regarding their family’s total income, employment conditions in the next six months, and an assessment of the current business and employment conditions. The ECI is a continuous measure which ranges from 0 to 3 where the range of 0 to 1.5 indicates an unfavorable assessment of the economic situation by the majority of the population and the range of 1.5 to 3 indicates a favorable assessment by the majority.

[1] . In the report, terms percent and percentage point are used. A percentage point is the numerical difference between two percentages; whereas percent is the ratio expressed as fraction of 100. Percent refers to the rate of change, whereas percentage point measures the actual amount of change.