Knelstrom Intelligence · World Factbook

Albania

Republika e Shqipërisë

AL / ALBeurope

CapitalTirana

Population2,349,580

GDP$30.5bn

Area28,748 km²

RegionEurope & Central Asia

Data sources current · last checked September 20, 2026 2:10 am

Country facts

Official nameRepublika e Shqipërisë

CapitalTirana

Area28,748 km²

CurrencyAlbanian lek (ALL)

Official language(s)Albanian

Calling code+355

RegionEurope & Central Asia

Income levelUpper middle income

Form of governmentparliamentary system

Time zoneUTC+01:00

Overview

Population2,349,5802025 · Verified

UN Population Division population estimate2,751,0252026 · Estimated

GDP (current US$)$30,540,188,2712025 · Verified

GDP per capita (current US$)$12,9982025 · Verified

GDP growth3.8%2025 · Verified

Inflation, consumer prices2.1%2025 · Verified

Unemployment10.9%2025 · Verified

Background

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.

Reference: 2014, 2009, 1999, 1997

Geography

Latitude41.3317°current · Verified

Longitude19.8172°current · Verified

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Area

total: 28,748 sq km
land: 27,398 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries

total: 691 km
border countries: Greece 212 km; Kosovo 112 km; North Macedonia 181 km; Montenegro 186 km

Coastline

362 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate

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

Terrain

mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Elevation

highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 708 m

Natural resources

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

Land use

agricultural land: 38.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 21.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 3.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 13.4% (2023 est.)
forest: 34.3% (2023 est.)
other: 27.5% (2023 est.)

Reference: 2023

Irrigated land

1,907 sq km (2022)

Reference: 2022

Major lakes (area sq km)

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

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Population distribution

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

Natural hazards

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

Geography - note

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

Population & Society

Population2,349,5802025 · Verified

UN Population Division population estimate2,751,0252026 · Estimated

Fertility rate1.32024 · Verified

Urban population58.9%2025 · Verified

Nationality

noun: Albanian(s)
adjective: Albanian

Ethnic groups

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

Reference: 2011

Languages

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

Reference: 2011

Religions

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

Reference: 2011, 1990, 1967

Age structure

0-14 years: 18% (male 292,296/female 267,052)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,023,515/female 1,055,388)
65 years and over: 15.1% (2024 est.) (male 215,252/female 253,597)

Reference: 2024

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 47.8 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 24.3 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 23.5 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 4.3 (2024 est.)

Reference: 2024

Median age

total: 36.3 years (2024 est.)
male: 34.8 years
female: 37.8 years

Reference: 2024

Population growth rate

0.16% (2024 est.)

Reference: 2024

Birth rate

12.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Reference: 2024

Death rate

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Reference: 2024

Population distribution

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

Major urban areas - population

520,000 TIRANA (capital) (2023)

Reference: 2023

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Reference: 2024

Mother's mean age at first birth

26.6 years (2020 est.)

Reference: 2020

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Reference: 2023

Gross reproduction rate

0.75 (2024 est.)

Reference: 2024

Drinking water source

improved: urban: urban: 95.7% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 94.1% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 95.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 4.3% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 5.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 4.9% of population (2022 est.)

Reference: 2022

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 7.3% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 9.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Reference: 2022, 2021

Physician density

1.88 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Reference: 2020

Hospital bed density

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

Reference: 2020

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Reference: 2022

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.7% (2016)

Reference: 2016

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 4.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 1.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 1.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Reference: 2019

Tobacco use

total: 21.4% (2025 est.)
male: 37% (2025 est.)
female: 6.2% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.5% (2017 est.)

Reference: 2017

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

67.2% (2023 est.)

Reference: 2023

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 1.4% (2018)
women married by age 18: 11.8% (2018)
men married by age 18: 1.2% (2018)

Reference: 2018

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years (2023 est.)
male: 14 years (2023 est.)
female: 15 years (2023 est.)

Reference: 2023

Migration & Displacement

Immigrant/emigrant stock measures the number of international migrants resident in, or originating from, the country; it is not the same as annual immigration/emigration flows.

International migrant stock (immigrants)46,3772024 · Verified

International migrant stock1.7%2024 · Verified

International emigrant stock1,216,6282024 · Estimated

Net migration-24,2302025 · Verified

Refugees hosted792011 · Verified

Asylum seekers hosted262011 · Verified

Refugees from this country21,4472025 · Verified

Asylum seekers from this country7,6432025 · Verified

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 9,381 (2024 est.)
stateless persons: 2,203 (2024 est.)

Reference: 2024

Government & Politics

Form of governmentparliamentary systemcurrent · Reported

Office	Holder	Affiliation	From	Status	Evidence
Head of state	Bajram Begaj	—	2022-07-24	Current	Reported
Head of government	Edi Rama	—	—	Current	Reported

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Albania
conventional short form: Albania
local long form: Republika e Shqiperise
local short form: Shqiperia
former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
etymology: 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"

Capital

name: Tirana (Tirane)
geographic coordinates: 41 19 N, 19 49 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
etymology: the name "Tirana" first appears in a 1418 Venetian document; the origin of the name is unclear

Administrative divisions

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

Legal system

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

Constitution

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

Reference: 1998

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Albania
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Bajram BEGAJ (since 24 July 2022)
head of government: Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013)
cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly
election/appointment process: 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: held in 4 rounds on 16, 23, and 30 May and 4 June 2022
election results: 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: 2027

Reference: 2027, 2022, 2017, 2013

Legislative branch

legislature name: Albanian Parliament
legislative structure: unicameral
chamber name: Parliament (Kuvendi)
number of seats: 140 (all directly elected)
electoral system: proportional representation
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 5/11/2025
parties elected and seats per party: Socialist Party of Albania (PS) (83); Democratic Party - Alliance for a Greater Albania (PD-ASHM) (50); Other (7)
percentage of women in chamber: 35%
expected date of next election: May 2029

Reference: 2029, 2025

Judicial branch

highest court(s): 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: 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: 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

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: Ambassador Ervin BUSHATI (since 15 September 2023)
chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942
FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342
email address and website: embassy.washington@mfa.gov.al
http://www.ambasadat.gov.al/usa/en
consulate(s) general: New York

Reference: 2023

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Nancy VANHORN (since August 2024)
embassy: Rruga Stavro Vinjau, No. 14, Tirana
mailing address: 9510 Tirana Place, Washington DC 20521-9510
telephone: [355] 4 2247-285
FAX: [355] 4 2232-222
email address and website: ACSTirana@state.gov
https://al.usembassy.gov/

Reference: 2024

International organization participation

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

28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)

Reference: 1912

National holiday

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

Reference: 1912

Flag

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)

black double-headed eagle

National color(s)

red, black

National coat of arms

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

Reference: 1998

National anthem(s)

title: "Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)
lyrics/music: Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU
history: adopted 1912; only the first two stanzas of the original poem are used, with the second stanza as a chorus

Reference: 1912

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 4 (2 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Butrint (c); Historic Berat and Gjirokastër (c); Primeval Beech Forests (n); Lake Ohrid Region (m)

Government & Official Links

Institution	Official website	X / Twitter	Verification
Albania official website	Official website	—	Reported · source Checked September 20, 2026

Institutional accounts only; personal accounts of political office-holders are excluded.

Legislature & Elections

Legislature

Name	Chamber	Seats	Electoral system
Parliament of Albania	—	140	—

Economy

GDP (current US$)$30,540,188,2712025 · Verified

GDP per capita (current US$)$12,9982025 · Verified

GDP growth3.8%2025 · Verified

Inflation, consumer prices2.1%2025 · Verified

Unemployment10.9%2025 · Verified

Income levelUpper middle incomecurrent · Verified

Economic overview

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: $51.36 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $49.403 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $47.532 billion (2022 est.)
note: note: data in 2021 dollars

Reference: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024: $18,900 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $18,000 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $17,100 (2022 est.)
note: note: data in 2021 dollars

Reference: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 15.5% (2024 est.)
industry: 22.4% (2024 est.)
services: 48.9% (2024 est.)
note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Reference: 2024

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 70.2% (2023 est.)
government consumption: 12% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 24% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories: -1.1% (2023 est.)
exports of goods and services: 38.7% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services: -43.8% (2023 est.)
note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Reference: 2023

Agricultural products

milk, maize, tomatoes, watermelons, potatoes, wheat, grapes, onions, cucumbers/gherkins, olives (2023)
note: note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Reference: 2023

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

-0.2% (2024 est.)
note: note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Reference: 2024

Labor force

1.37 million (2024 est.)
note: note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Reference: 2024

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 25.1% (2024 est.)
male: 23.9% (2024 est.)
female: 26.9% (2024 est.)
note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Reference: 2024

Population below poverty line

22% (2020 est.)
note: note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Reference: 2020

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020: 29.4 (2020 est.)
note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Reference: 2020

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.4% (2020 est.)
highest 10%: 22.8% (2020 est.)
note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Reference: 2020

Remittances

Remittances 2024: 8.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 8.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 9.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reference: 2024, 2023, 2022

Budget

revenues: $6.636 billion (2023 est.)
expenditures: $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

Reference: 2023

Public debt

Public debt 2021: 81.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Reference: 2021

Taxes and other revenues

17.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
note: note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Reference: 2023

Current account balance

Current account balance 2024: -$646.107 million (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$281.7 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$1.117 billion (2022 est.)
note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Reference: 2024, 2023, 2022

Exports

Exports 2024: $9.848 billion (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $9.099 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $7.057 billion (2022 est.)
note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Reference: 2024, 2023, 2022

Exports - partners

Italy 41%, Greece 10%, Germany 5%, Spain 5%, Serbia 4% (2023)
note: note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Reference: 2023

Exports - commodities

garments, footwear, electricity, crude petroleum, iron alloys (2023)
note: note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Reference: 2023

Imports

Imports 2024: $11.697 billion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $10.374 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $9.016 billion (2022 est.)
note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Reference: 2024, 2023, 2022

Imports - partners

Italy 22%, China 11%, Turkey 9%, Germany 7%, Greece 6% (2023)
note: note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Reference: 2023

Imports - commodities

cars, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine, iron bars (2023)
note: note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reference: 2023

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $6.516 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $6.455 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $5.266 billion (2022 est.)
note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reference: 2024, 2023, 2022

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023: $5.363 billion (2023 est.)
note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Reference: 2023

Exchange rates

Currency: leke (ALL) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 93.123 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 100.645 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 113.042 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 103.52 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 108.65 (2020 est.)

Reference: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

Trade

Exports of goods and services37.0%2025 · Verified

Imports of goods and services42.5%2025 · Verified

Trade79.5%2025 · Verified

Current account balance

Reference: 2024, 2023, 2022

Exports

Reference: 2024, 2023, 2022

Exports - partners

Italy 41%, Greece 10%, Germany 5%, Spain 5%, Serbia 4% (2023)
note: note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Reference: 2023

Exports - commodities

garments, footwear, electricity, crude petroleum, iron alloys (2023)
note: note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Reference: 2023

Imports

Reference: 2024, 2023, 2022

Imports - partners

Italy 22%, China 11%, Turkey 9%, Germany 7%, Greece 6% (2023)
note: note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Reference: 2023

Imports - commodities

cars, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine, iron bars (2023)
note: note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reference: 2023

Energy & Resources

Access to electricity100.0%2024 · Verified

Electric power consumption2,892 kWh/person2023 · Verified

Renewable energy consumption41.9%2021 · Verified

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 2.857 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 7.49 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 2.2 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 1.922 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.238 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Reference: 2023

Electricity generation sources

solar: 3.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 96.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Reference: 2023

Coal

production: 473,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 255,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 345,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 180,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 522 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Reference: 2023

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 14,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 21,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 150 million barrels (2021 est.)

Reference: 2023, 2021

Natural gas

production: 49.977 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption: 49.977 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 5.692 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Reference: 2023, 2021

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 27.407 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Reference: 2023

Infrastructure

Access to electricity100.0%2024 · Verified

Fixed broadband subscriptions24.9 per 1002024 · Verified

Mobile cellular subscriptions89.1 per 1002024 · Verified

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 173,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2023 est.)

Reference: 2023

Health

Life expectancy at birth79.8 years2024 · Verified

Current health expenditure7.1%2023 · Verified

Infant mortality rate8.3 per 1,0002024 · Verified

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Reference: 2023

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 7.3% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 9.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Reference: 2022, 2021

Physician density

1.88 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Reference: 2020

Hospital bed density

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

Reference: 2020

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.7% (2016)

Reference: 2016

Tobacco use

total: 21.4% (2025 est.)
male: 37% (2025 est.)
female: 6.2% (2025 est.)

Education

Adult literacy rate97.7%2023 · Verified

Secondary school enrolment, gross108.4%2024 · Verified

Government education expenditure3.1%2023 · Verified

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years (2023 est.)
male: 14 years (2023 est.)
female: 15 years (2023 est.)

Reference: 2023

Rights, Freedoms & Society

Press & Media Freedom

V-Dem expert-coded/modelled source measures. Knelstrom does not create a press-freedom ranking or composite score.

Freedom of expression & alternative information index0.6732025 · Estimated

Government censorship effort — media-0.4542025 · Estimated

Harassment of journalists0.3462025 · Estimated

Print/broadcast media critical of government0.3622025 · Estimated

Range of perspectives in major media0.8112025 · Estimated

Media bias0.9842025 · Estimated

Media self-censorship0.8152025 · Estimated

LGBTQ+ Rights & Law

Concrete legal-status fields only; Knelstrom does not generate an LGBTQ rights score or country ranking.

Same-sex sexual activityYes Legal since 1995; + UN decl. sign.Reported

Recognition of same-sex relationshipsNoReported

Same-sex marriageNoReported

Same-sex adoptionNoReported

Open military serviceYesReported

Sexual-orientation anti-discrimination lawYes Bans all anti-gay discriminationReported

Gender identity / expression lawNo No legal recognitionReported

Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country or territory (CC BY-SA 4.0). Community-edited legal-status summary; retrieved by Knelstrom and not legal advice.

Crime & Justice

Legal system

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

Judicial branch

Military & Security

Military and security forces

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: 2% of GDP (2025 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024: 1.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Reference: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022

Military and security service personnel strengths

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

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

since joining NATO, the military has been in the process of modernizing by retiring its inventory of Soviet-era weapons and replacing them with Western equipment, including donated and secondhand deliveries (2024)

Reference: 2024

Military service age and obligation

18-27 (up to 32 in some cases) for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished 2010 (2024)
note: note: as of 2024, women comprised about 15% of the military's full-time personnel

Reference: 2024, 2010

Military deployments

250 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2025)

Military - note

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)

Reference: 2025, 2009

International Relations

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Diplomatic representation in the US

Reference: 2023

Diplomatic representation from the US

Reference: 2024

International organization participation

Treaties & Organisations

Organisation	Status	Joined
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)	member	—
NATO (NATO)	member	—
United Nations (UN)	member	1955-12-14
World Trade Organization (WTO)	member	—

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

Conflict & Security

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 9,381 (2024 est.)
stateless persons: 2,203 (2024 est.)

Reference: 2024

Terrorist group(s)

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

Transportation & Logistics

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports

3 (2025)

Heliports

9 (2025)

Railways

total: 424 km (2017)
note: 2021-All the trains in the country suspended

Reference: 2021, 2017

Merchant marine

total: 69 (2023)
by type: general cargo 46, oil tanker 1, other 22

Reference: 2023

Ports

total ports: 3 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 0
small: 1
very small: 2
ports with oil terminals: 0
key ports: Durres, Shengjin, Vlores

Reference: 2024

Environment

Forest area28.8%2023 · Verified

Renewable energy consumption41.9%2021 · Verified

Environmental issues

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: 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: none of the selected agreements

Reference: 2006

Climate

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

Land use

Reference: 2023

Urbanization

urban population: 64.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Reference: 2023, 2020

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions: 3.392 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 566,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 2.734 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 93,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Reference: 2023

Particulate matter emissions

16.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Reference: 2019

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.087 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 20.5% (2022 est.)

Reference: 2024, 2022

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 221 million cubic meters (2022)
industrial: 11 million cubic meters (2022)
agricultural: 565 million cubic meters (2022)

Reference: 2022

Total renewable water resources

30.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Reference: 2022

Communications & Media

Individuals using the Internet85.9%2024 · Verified

Mobile cellular subscriptions89.1 per 1002024 · Verified

Fixed broadband subscriptions24.9 per 1002024 · Verified

Secure Internet servers1,513 per million2024 · Verified

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 173,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2023 est.)

Reference: 2023

Broadcast media

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)

Reference: 2024