Albania

Code: AL | Region: Europe

Introduction

Background

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After declaring independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, Albania experienced a period of political upheaval that led to a short-lived monarchy, which ended in 1939 when Italy conquered the country. Germany then occupied Albania in 1943, and communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960) and then with China (until 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. Government-endorsed pyramid schemes in 1997 led to economic collapse and civil disorder, which only ended when UN peacekeeping troops intervened. In 1999, some 450,000 ethnic Albanians fled from Kosovo to Albania to escape the war with the Serbs. Albania joined NATO in 2009 and became an official candidate for EU membership in 2014.

Geography

Location

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Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north

Geographic coordinates

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41 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references

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Europe

Area

total

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28,748 sq km

land

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27,398 sq km

water

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1,350 sq km

Area - comparative

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slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries

total

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691 km

border countries

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Greece 212 km; Kosovo 112 km; North Macedonia 181 km; Montenegro 186 km

Coastline

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362 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea

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12 nm

continental shelf

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200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate

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mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter

Terrain

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mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Elevation

highest point

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Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m

lowest point

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Adriatic Sea 0 m

mean elevation

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708 m

Natural resources

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petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land

Land use

agricultural land

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38.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 21.6% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 3.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 13.4% (2023 est.)

forest

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34.3% (2023 est.)

other

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27.5% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

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1,907 sq km (2022)

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

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Lake Scutari (shared with Montenegro) - 400 sq km note - largest lake in the Balkans

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

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(Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Population distribution

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a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country

Natural hazards

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destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought

Geography - note

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strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

People and Society

Population

total

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2,551,837 (2025 est.)

male

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1,229,151

female

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1,322,686

Nationality

noun

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Albanian(s)

adjective

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Albanian

Ethnic groups

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Albanian 82.6%, Greek 0.9%, other 1% (including Vlach, Romani, Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian), unspecified 15.5% (2011 est.)

note

note: data represent population by ethnic and cultural affiliation

Languages

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Albanian 98.8% (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek 0.5%, other 0.6% (including Macedonian, Romani, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s)

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Libri i fakteve boterore, burimi i pazevendesueshem per informacione elementare (Albanian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

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Muslim 56.7%, Roman Catholic 10%, Orthodox 6.8%, atheist 2.5%, Bektashi (a Sufi order) 2.1%, other 5.7%, unspecified 16.2% (2011 est.)

note

note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice

Age structure

0-14 years

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18% (male 292,296/female 267,052)

15-64 years

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66.9% (male 1,023,515/female 1,055,388)

65 years and over

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15.1% (2024 est.) (male 215,252/female 253,597)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio

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49 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

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24.1 (2025 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

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24.9 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

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4 (2025 est.)

Median age

total

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37.9 years (2025 est.)

male

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34.8 years

female

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37.8 years

Population growth rate

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-1.06% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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8.71 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

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7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

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-11.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

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a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country

Urbanization

urban population

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64.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

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520,000 TIRANA (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth

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1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years

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1.09 male(s)/female

15-64 years

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0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

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0.85 male(s)/female

total population

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0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

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26.6 years (2020 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

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7 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total

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10.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male

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11.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female

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9.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population

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79.9 years (2024 est.)

male

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77.3 years

female

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82.8 years

Total fertility rate

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1.09 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

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0.52 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

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urban: 95.7% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 94.1% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 95.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 4.3% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 5.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 4.9% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

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7.3% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

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9.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

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1.88 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density

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2.9 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

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urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

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21.7% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total

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4.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer

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1.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

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1.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

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1.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

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0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total

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21.4% (2025 est.)

male

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37% (2025 est.)

female

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6.2% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

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1.5% (2017 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

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65.7% (2018 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15

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1.4% (2018)

women married by age 18

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11.8% (2018)

men married by age 18

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1.2% (2018)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

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3.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

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10.9% national budget (2023 est.)

Literacy

total population

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97.7% (2023 est.)

male

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98.2% (2023 est.)

female

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97.2% (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total

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15 years (2023 est.)

male

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14 years (2023 est.)

female

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15 years (2023 est.)

Environment

Environmental issues

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deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; air pollution from industrial and power plants; loss of biodiversity

International environmental agreements

party to

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Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

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none of the selected agreements

Climate

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mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter

Land use

agricultural land

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38.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 21.6% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 3.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 13.4% (2023 est.)

forest

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34.3% (2023 est.)

other

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27.5% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population

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64.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions

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3.392 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

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566,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

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2.734 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

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93,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

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16.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

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1.087 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

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20.5% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal

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221 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial

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11 million cubic meters (2022)

agricultural

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565 million cubic meters (2022)

Total renewable water resources

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30.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Government

Country name

conventional long form

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Republic of Albania

conventional short form

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Albania

local long form

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Republika e Shqiperise

local short form

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Shqiperia

former

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People's Socialist Republic of Albania

etymology

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name may be derived from the pre-Celtic word alb, meaning "hill," or from the Indo-European root word albh, meaning "white;" the local name "Shqiperia" is derived from the Albanian word shqiponje ("eagle") and is popularly interpreted to mean "Land of the Eagles"

Government type

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parliamentary republic

Capital

name

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Tirana (Tirane)

geographic coordinates

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41 19 N, 19 49 E

time difference

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UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time

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+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

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the name "Tirana" first appears in a 1418 Venetian document; the origin of the name is unclear

Administrative divisions

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12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane (Tirana), Vlore

Legal system

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civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" is still present

Constitution

history

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several previous; latest approved by the Assembly 21 October 1998, adopted by referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998

amendment process

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proposed by at least one-fifth of the Assembly membership; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; referendum required only if approved by two-thirds of the Assembly; amendments approved by referendum effective upon declaration by the president of the republic

International law organization participation

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has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

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citizenship by descent only

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at least one parent must be a citizen of Albania

dual citizenship recognized

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yes

residency requirement for naturalization

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5 years

Suffrage

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18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state

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President Bajram BEGAJ (since 24 July 2022)

head of government

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Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013)

cabinet

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Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly

election/appointment process

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president indirectly elected by the Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); a candidate needs three-fifths majority vote of the Assembly in 1 of 3 rounds or a simple majority in 2 additional rounds to become president; prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly

most recent election date

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held in 4 rounds on 16, 23, and 30 May and 4 June 2022

election results

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2022: Bajram BEGAJ elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 78-4, opposition parties boycotted 2017: Ilir META elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 87-2

expected date of next election

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2027

Legislative branch

legislature name

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Albanian Parliament

legislative structure

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unicameral

chamber name

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Parliament (Kuvendi)

number of seats

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140 (all directly elected)

electoral system

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proportional representation

scope of elections

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full renewal

term in office

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4 years

most recent election date

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5/11/2025

parties elected and seats per party

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Socialist Party of Albania (PS) (83); Democratic Party - Alliance for a Greater Albania (PD-ASHM) (50); Other (7)

percentage of women in chamber

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35%

expected date of next election

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May 2029

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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Supreme Court (consists of 19 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman)

judge selection and term of office

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Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Judicial Council with the consent of the president to serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Court chairman is elected for a single 3-year term by the court members; appointments of Constitutional Court judges are rotated among the president, Parliament, and Supreme Court from a list of pre-qualified candidates (each institution selects 3 judges), to serve single 9-year terms; candidates are pre-qualified by a randomly selected body of experienced judges and prosecutors; Constitutional Court chairman is elected by the court members for a single, renewable 3-year term

subordinate courts

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Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized courts: Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, Appeals Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (responsible for corruption, organized crime, and crimes of high officials)

Political parties

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Alliance for Change (electoral coalition led by PD) Democratic Party or PD Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU (part of the Alliance for Change) Social Democratic Party or PSD Freedom Party of Albania or PL (formerly the Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI) Socialist Party or PS

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

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Ambassador Ervin BUSHATI (since 15 September 2023)

chancery

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2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

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[1] (202) 223-4942

FAX

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[1] (202) 628-7342

email address and website

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embassy.washington@mfa.gov.al http://www.ambasadat.gov.al/usa/en

consulate(s) general

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New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

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Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Nancy VANHORN (since August 2024)

embassy

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Rruga Stavro Vinjau, No. 14, Tirana

mailing address

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9510 Tirana Place, Washington DC  20521-9510

telephone

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[355] 4 2247-285

FAX

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[355] 4 2232-222

email address and website

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ACSTirana@state.gov https://al.usembassy.gov/

International organization participation

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BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

note

note: Albania is an EU candidate country and must complete accession criteria before being granted full membership

Independence

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28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday

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Independence Day, 28 November (1912), also known as Flag Day

Flag

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description: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center meaning: Albanians traditionally see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as "Shqiptare," which translates as "sons of the eagle" history: the design is said to originate with 15th-century Albanian hero Georgi Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Ottoman Turks

National symbol(s)

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black double-headed eagle

National color(s)

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red, black

National coat of arms

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adopted in 1998 and features the national symbol, the double-headed black eagle, in the national colors of red and black; red represents the courage and strength of the Albanian people, and the golden border represents the country’s wealth; the helmet above the eagle is modeled on the helmet of Skanderbeg, a 15th-century Albanian military hero who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire; the goat on top of the helmet represents defiance and resistance

National anthem(s)

title

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"Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)

lyrics/music

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Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU

history

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adopted 1912; only the first two stanzas of the original poem are used, with the second stanza as a chorus

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites

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4 (2 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)

selected World Heritage Site locales

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Butrint (c); Historic Berat and Gjirokastër (c); Primeval Beech Forests (n); Lake Ohrid Region (m)

Economy

Economic overview

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upper-middle-income Balkan economy; EU accession candidate; growth bolstered by tourism, agriculture, mining, construction, and private consumption; fiscal consolidation through revenue collection and tax compliance enhancements to address public debt; challenges include weak governance, corruption, and high emigration rates

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

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$51.36 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

text

$49.403 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

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$47.532 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2024

text

4% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

text

3.9% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

text

4.8% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

text

$18,900 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

text

$18,000 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

text

$17,100 (2022 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

text

$27.178 billion (2024 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

text

2.2% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

text

4.8% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

text

6.7% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

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15.5% (2024 est.)

industry

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22.4% (2024 est.)

services

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48.9% (2024 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption

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70.2% (2023 est.)

government consumption

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12% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

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24% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

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-1.1% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services

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38.7% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

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-43.8% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Agricultural products

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milk, maize, tomatoes, watermelons, potatoes, wheat, grapes, onions, cucumbers/gherkins, olives (2023)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries

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food; footwear, apparel and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower

Industrial production growth rate

text

-0.2% (2024 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force

text

1.37 million (2024 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2024

text

10.3% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

text

10.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

text

10.2% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total

text

25.1% (2024 est.)

male

text

23.9% (2024 est.)

female

text

26.9% (2024 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line

text

22% (2020 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020

text

29.4 (2020 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%

text

3.4% (2020 est.)

highest 10%

text

22.8% (2020 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Remittances

Remittances 2024

text

8.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Remittances 2023

text

8.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2022

text

9.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Budget

revenues

text

$6.636 billion (2023 est.)

expenditures

text

$6.966 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Public debt

Public debt 2021

text

81.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Taxes and other revenues

text

17.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Current account balance

Current account balance 2024

text

-$646.107 million (2024 est.)

Current account balance 2023

text

-$281.7 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2022

text

-$1.117 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports

Exports 2024

text

$9.848 billion (2024 est.)

Exports 2023

text

$9.099 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2022

text

$7.057 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - partners

text

Italy 41%, Greece 10%, Germany 5%, Spain 5%, Serbia 4% (2023)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Exports - commodities

text

garments, footwear, electricity, crude petroleum, iron alloys (2023)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports

Imports 2024

text

$11.697 billion (2024 est.)

Imports 2023

text

$10.374 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2022

text

$9.016 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - partners

text

Italy 22%, China 11%, Turkey 9%, Germany 7%, Greece 6% (2023)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Imports - commodities

text

cars, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine, iron bars (2023)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

text

$6.516 billion (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

text

$6.455 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

text

$5.266 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

text

$5.363 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Exchange rates

Currency

text

leke (ALL) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

text

93.123 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

text

100.645 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

text

113.042 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

text

103.52 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

text

108.65 (2020 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population

text

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity

text

2.857 million kW (2023 est.)

consumption

text

7.49 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

text

2.2 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

text

1.922 billion kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

text

1.238 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

solar

text

3.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

text

96.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal

production

text

473,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption

text

255,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

text

345,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

text

180,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

text

522 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production

text

14,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

text

21,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

text

150 million barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas

production

text

49.977 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption

text

49.977 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

text

5.692 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

text

27.407 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions

text

165,000 (2024 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

text

6 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions

text

2.49 million (2024 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

text

89 (2024 est.)

Broadcast media

text

over 65 TV stations, including several that broadcast nationally and are sometimes available to neighboring countries; many viewers have access to Italian and Greek TV via terrestrial reception; TV stations have begun a government-mandated conversion from analog to digital broadcast; cable TV service is available; 2 public radio networks and roughly 78 private radio stations; several international broadcasters are available (2024)

Internet country code

text

.al

Internet users

percent of population

text

83% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total

text

632,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

text

22 (2023 est.)

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

text

Airports

text

3 (2025)

Heliports

text

9 (2025)

Railways

total

text

424 km (2017)

note

2021-All the trains in the country suspended

Merchant marine

total

text

69 (2023)

by type

text

general cargo 46, oil tanker 1, other 22

Ports

total ports

text

3 (2024)

large

text

medium

text

small

text

very small

text

ports with oil terminals

text

key ports

text

Durres, Shengjin, Vlores

Military and Security

Military and security forces

text

Republic of Albania Armed Forces (Forcat e Armatosura të Republikës së Shqipërisë (FARSH); aka Albanian Armed Forces (AAF)): Land Forces, Naval Force (includes Coast Guard), Air Forces Ministry of Interior: Guard of the Republic, State Police (includes the Border and Migration Police) (2025)

note

note: the State Police are primarily responsible for internal security, including counterterrorism, while the Guard of the Republic protects senior state officials, foreign dignitaries, and certain state properties

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2025

text

2% of GDP (2025 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

text

1.7% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

text

1.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

text

1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

text

1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

text

approximately 7,500 active-duty military personnel (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

text

the military is in the process of modernizing by replacing its inventory of Soviet-era weapons with NATO standard armaments; in recent years, acquisitions have included equipment from France, Israel, Italy, Turkey and the US (2025)

Military service age and obligation

text

18-30 for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished 2010 (2025)

note

note: as of 2024, women comprised about 15% of the military's full-time personnel

Military deployments

text

250 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2025)

Military - note

text

the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) are responsible for defending the country’s independence, sovereignty, and territory, assisting with internal security, providing disaster and humanitarian relief, and participating in international peacekeeping missions; the AAF is a small, lightly armed force that has been undergoing a modernization effort to improve its ability to fulfill NATO missions; the AAF has contributed small numbers of forces to several NATO missions since Albania joined NATO in 2009, including peacekeeping/stability missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Iraq, and multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria and Latvia; it has also contributed to EU and UN missions (2025)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

text

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

text

9,381 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

text

2,203 (2024 est.)