Albania
Albania⌘K
Overview
- 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.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 27,398 sq km
- Water
- 1,350 sq km
- Total
- 28,748 sq km
- 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
Land Use
- Other
- 27.5% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 34.3% (2023 est.)
- 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.)
- Location
- Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
- Coastline
- 362 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Adriatic Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m
- Mean elevation
- 708 m
- Irrigated land
- 1,907 sq km (2022)
- Map references
- Europe
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 691 km
- Border countries
- Greece 212 km; Kosovo 112 km; North Macedonia 181 km; Montenegro 186 km
Maritime Claims
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
- 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)
- Natural resources
- petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land
- Area comparative
- slightly smaller than Maryland
- Geographic coordinates
- 41 00 N, 20 00 E
- Population distribution
- a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country
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)
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 98.2% (2023 est.)
- Female
- 97.2% (2023 est.)
- Total population
- 97.7% (2023 est.)
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.
- 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.)
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
- Total population
- 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.85 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 8.71 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 34.8 years
- Total
- 37.9 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 37.8 years
Population
- Male
- 1,229,151
- Total
- 2,551,837 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 1,322,686
Nationality
- Noun
- Albanian(s)
- Adjective
- Albanian
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 37% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 21.4% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 6.2% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 64.6% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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)
- Ethnic groups
- Albanian 82.6%, Greek 0.9%, other 1% (including Vlach, Romani, Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian), unspecified 15.5% (2011 est.)
Child Marriage
- Men married BY age 18
- 1.2% (2018)
- Women married BY age 15
- 1.4% (2018)
- Women married BY age 18
- 11.8% (2018)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 49 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 24.1 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 4 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 24.9 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 1.88 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
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.)
- Net migration rate
- -11.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 2.9 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.09 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 94.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 95.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 95.7% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 5.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 4.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 4.3% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 3.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 10.9% national budget (2023 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 10.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 9.2 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- -1.06% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.52 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 77.3 years
- Female
- 82.8 years
- Total population
- 79.9 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 7 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 1.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 1.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 4.4 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.)
- Major urban areas population
- 520,000 TIRANA (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 21.7% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 26.6 years (2020 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 65.7% (2018 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 1.5% (2017 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 14 years (2023 est.)
- Total
- 15 years (2023 est.)
- Female
- 15 years (2023 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- 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
Capital
- Name
- Tirana (Tirane)
- Etymology
- the name "Tirana" first appears in a 1418 Venetian document; the origin of the name is unclear
- 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
- Geographic coordinates
- 41 19 N, 19 49 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
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
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
Country Name
- 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"
- Local long form
- Republika e Shqiperise
- Local short form
- Shqiperia
- Conventional long form
- Republic of Albania
- Conventional short form
- Albania
- Independence
- 28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
- Legal system
- civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" is still present
- Government type
- parliamentary republic
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court (consists of 19 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman)
- 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)
- 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
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly
- Chief of state
- President Bajram BEGAJ (since 24 July 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- Head of government
- Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013)
- Most recent election date
- held in 4 rounds on 16, 23, and 30 May and 4 June 2022
- 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
- Expected date of next election
- 2027
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 28 November (1912), also known as Flag Day
- National color(s)
- red, black
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)
- 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
Legislative Branch
- Chamber name
- Parliament (Kuvendi)
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 140 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Legislature name
- Albanian Parliament
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 5/11/2025
- Expected date of next election
- May 2029
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 35%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Socialist Party of Albania (PS) (83); Democratic Party - Alliance for a Greater Albania (PD-ASHM) (50); Other (7)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)
- History
- adopted 1912; only the first two stanzas of the original poem are used, with the second stanza as a chorus
- Lyrics/music
- Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU
- National symbol(s)
- black double-headed eagle
- 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
- Administrative divisions
- 12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane (Tirana), Vlore
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 628-7342
- Chancery
- 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 223-4942
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Ervin BUSHATI (since 15 September 2023)
- Consulate(s) general
- New York
- Email address and website
embassy.washington@mfa.gov.al
http://www.ambasadat.gov.al/usa/en
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [355] 4 2232-222
- Embassy
- Rruga Stavro Vinjau, No. 14, Tirana
- Telephone
- [355] 4 2247-285
- Mailing address
- 9510 Tirana Place, Washington DC 20521-9510
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Nancy VANHORN (since August 2024)
- Email address and website
ACSTirana@state.gov
https://al.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- 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
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
ALBANIA · LEGISLATURE
Parliament
140 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
140
Majority line
71
Largest party
Socialist Party of Albania (PS)
Parties
6
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Bajram Begaj
- Head of State
Edi Rama
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $6.636 billion (2023 est.)
- Expenditures
- $6.966 billion (2023 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $9.8B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $7.057 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $9.099 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $9.848 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $11.7B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $9.016 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $10.374 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $11.697 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- food; footwear, apparel and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
- Labor force
- 1.37 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 50.0%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2021
- 81.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 9.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 8.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 8.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- leke (ALL) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 108.65 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 103.52 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 113.042 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 100.645 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 93.123 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $5.363 billion (2023 est.)
- 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
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 10.9%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 10.2% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 10.2% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 10.3% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- Italy 41%, Greece 10%, Germany 5%, Spain 5%, Serbia 4% (2023)
- Imports partners
- Italy 22%, China 11%, Turkey 9%, Germany 7%, Greece 6% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $26,702
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $17,100 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $18,000 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $18,900 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.0%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 4.8% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 3.9% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 4% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- milk, maize, tomatoes, watermelons, potatoes, wheat, grapes, onions, cucumbers/gherkins, olives (2023)
- Exports commodities
- garments, footwear, electricity, crude petroleum, iron alloys (2023)
- Imports commodities
- cars, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine, iron bars (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$647.9M
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- -$1.117 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$281.7 million (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- -$646.107 million (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 17.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $27.178 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 70.2% (2023 est.)
- Government consumption
- 12% (2023 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- -1.1% (2023 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 24% (2023 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 38.7% (2023 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -43.8% (2023 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 22% (2020 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.2%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 6.7% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 4.8% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 2.2% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- -0.2% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $51.36 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $47.532 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $49.403 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $51.36 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 23.9% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 25.1% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 26.9% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $5.266 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $6.455 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $6.516 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 22.4% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 48.9% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 15.5% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 3.4% (2020 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 22.8% (2020 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2020
- 29.4 (2020 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 345,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 180,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 473,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 255,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 522 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 14,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 150 million barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 21,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 2.2 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 1.922 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 7.49 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 2.857 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 1.238 billion kWh (2023 est.)
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.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 27.407 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Solar
- 3.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 96.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 83% (2023 est.)
- 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)
- Internet country code
- .al
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 165,000 (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 6 (2024 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 2.49 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 89 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 632,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 22 (2023 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 1
- Medium
- 0
- Key ports
- Durres, Shengjin, Vlores
- Very small
- 2
- Total ports
- 3 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 0
- Airports
- 3 (2025)
Railways
- Note
- 2021-All the trains in the country suspended
- Total
- 424 km (2017)
- Heliports
- 9 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 69 (2023)
- BY type
- general cargo 46, oil tanker 1, other 22
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- ZA
Environment
- Climate
- mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Land Use
- Other
- 27.5% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 34.3% (2023 est.)
- 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.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 64.6% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 1.087 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 20.5% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; air pollution from industrial and power plants; loss of biodiversity
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 221 million cubic meters (2022)
- Industrial
- 11 million cubic meters (2022)
- Agricultural
- 565 million cubic meters (2022)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 3.392 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 93,000 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.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 16.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 30.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
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
Military & Security
- 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)
- Military deployments
- 250 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2% of GDP (2025 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 1.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military expenditures 2025
- 2% of GDP (2025 est.)
- 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) - Military service age and obligation
- 18-30 for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished 2010 (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- 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 and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 7,500 active-duty military personnel (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Refugees
- 9,381 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 2,203 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index49.0 / 100as of 2024-Q488 / 1902024-Q4
Civica Pulse−4.5as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.40as of 2024-Q477 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (67/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (64/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Albania — vintage 2026-Q1: Albania factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/albania
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata