Albania - AL - ALB - ALB - Europe

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/

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)

41 00 N, 20 00 E

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.)

9 (2024)

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

slightly smaller than Maryland

18-27 (up to 32 in some cases) for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished 2010 (2024)

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

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. 

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; air pollution from industrial and power plants; loss of biodiversity due to lack of resources for sound environmental management

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

22% (2020 est.)

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

lowest 10%: 3.4% (2020 est.)

highest 10%: 22.8% (2020 est.)

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

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

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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

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

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

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

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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) (2024)

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

revenues: $5.319 billion (2021 est.)

expenditures: $4.4 billion (2021 est.)

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

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

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

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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

362 km

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

leke (ALL) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
100.645 (2023 est.)
113.042 (2022 est.)
103.52 (2021 est.)
108.65 (2020 est.)
109.851 (2019 est.)

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

elections/appointments: 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; election last held in 4 rounds on 16, 23, and 30 May and 4 June 2022 (next election to be held in 2027); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly

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

red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero Georgi Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Ottoman Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443-78); an unsubstantiated explanation for the eagle symbol is the tradition that Albanians see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as "Shqiptare," which translates as "sons of the eagle"

28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)

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

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)

total: 691 km

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

agricultural land: 41.4% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: arable land: 21.8% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops: 3.2% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture: 16.4% (2022 est.)

forest: 28.8% (2022 est.)

other: 29.8% (2022 est.)

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

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: 4/25/2021

parties elected and seats per party: Socialist Party of Albania (PS) (74); Democratic Party (PD) (59); Other (7)

percentage of women in chamber: 35.7%

expected date of next election: May 2025

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98.4%

male: 98.7%

female: 98.2% (2021)

territorial sea: 12 nm

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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: Albania is an EU candidate country whose satisfactory completion of accession criteria is required before being granted full EU membership

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

noun: Albanian(s)

adjective: Albanian

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

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

upper-middle -income Balkan economy; EU accession candidate; growth bolstered by tourism, services, construction, and private consumption; fiscal consolidation through revenue collection to address public debt; challenges include weak governance, corruption, climate adaptation, vulnerability to energy sector shocks, and emigration of workers

498 km gas (a majority of the network is in disrepair and parts of it are missing), 249 km oil (2015)

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 

18 years of age; universal

general assessment: Albania’s small telecom market has experienced some significant changes in recent years;  upgrades were made to the fixed-line infrastructure to support broadband services; fixed-line telephony use and penetration in Albania is declining steadily as subscribers migrate to mobile solutions; the mobile sector is well provided with LTE networks, while operators have invested in 5G; some of these efforts have been made in conjunction with neighboring Kosovo, with the intention of a seamless 5G corridor along the highway connecting the two countries; the country has long sought accession to the European Union (EU) which has benefited its telecoms sector through closer scrutiny of its regulatory regime and through the injection of funding to help modernize infrastructure (2021)

domestic: fixed-line approximately 7 per 100, teledensity continues to decline due to heavy use of mobile-cellular telephone services; mobile-cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective, 92 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2021)

international: country code - 355; submarine cables for the Adria 1 and Italy-Albania provide connectivity to Italy, Croatia, and Greece; a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system, provides additional connectivity to Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Turkey; international traffic carried by fiber-optic cable and, when necessary, by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2019)

mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

parliamentary republic

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"

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

Europe

1,907 sq km (2022)

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

percent of population: 83% (2023 est.)

.al

refugees (country of origin): 47,247 (Ukraine) (as of 30 January 2024)

stateless persons: 1,948 (2022)

note: 47,306 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-February 2024)

$23.547 billion (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Moody's rating: B1 (2021)

Standard & Poors rating: B+ (2020)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

30.2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

total: 14 years

male: 13 years

female: 15 years (2020)

urban population: 64.6% of total population (2023)

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

Albania has more than 65 TV stations, including several that broadcast nationally; Albanian TV broadcasts are also available to Albanian-speaking populations in neighboring countries; many viewers have access to Italian and Greek TV broadcasts via terrestrial reception; Albania's TV stations have begun a government-mandated conversion from analog to digital broadcast; the government has pledged to provide analog-to-digital converters to low-income families affected by this decision; cable TV service is available; 2 public radio networks and roughly 78 private radio stations; several international broadcasters are available (2024)

improved: urban: 97.3% of population

rural: 96.4% of population

total: 97% of population

unimproved: urban: 2.7% of population

rural: 3.6% of population

total: 3% of population (2020 est.)

name: "Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)

lyrics/music: Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU

note: adopted 1912

520,000 TIRANA (capital) (2023)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

1.88 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2013)

black double-headed eagle; national colors: red, black

26.6 years (2020 est.)

46% (2017/18)

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

total dependency ratio: 48.2

youth dependency ratio: 24.1

elderly dependency ratio: 24.1

potential support ratio: 4.2 (2021 est.)

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

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

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 5

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 303,137 (2018)

ZA

improved: urban: 99.8% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 99.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.2% of population

rural: 0.5% of population

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

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

note: data represent population by ethnic and cultural affiliation

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

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.

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

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

highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m

lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m

mean elevation: 708 m

7.3% of GDP (2021)

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 it is a small, lightly armed force that has been undergoing a modernization effort to improve its ability to fulfill NATO missions, including training and equipment purchases; 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 (2024)

approximately 7,000 total active-duty personnel (2024)

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)

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

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

particulate matter emissions: 16.28 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 4.54 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 2.55 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal: 230 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural: 550 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,142,964 tons (2015 est.)

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)

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

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

women married by age 15: 1.4%

women married by age 18: 11.8%

men married by age 18: 1.2% (2018 est.)

production: 379,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption: 389,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

exports: 31,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports: 42,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves: 522 million metric tons (2022 est.)

solar: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity: 99.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

production: 50.623 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

consumption: 50.623 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves: 5.692 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

total petroleum production: 14,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 26,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 150 million barrels (2021 est.)

0.75 (2024 est.)

67.2% (2023 est.)

8.65% of GDP (2023 est.)
9.18% of GDP (2022 est.)
9.53% of GDP (2021 est.)

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

total ports: 3 (2024)

large: 0

medium: 0

small: 1

very small: 2

ports with oil terminals: 0

key ports: Durres, Shengjin, Vlores

1.371 million (2023 est.)

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

total: 28.2% (2023 est.)

male: 29.1% (2023 est.)

female: 27% (2023 est.)

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

-3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

total: 36.3 years (2024 est.)

male: 34.8 years

female: 37.8 years

$5.6 billion (2023 est.)

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

$6.455 billion (2023 est.)
$5.266 billion (2022 est.)
$5.635 billion (2021 est.)

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

41 km (2011) (on the Bojana River)

81.92% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

1.55 children born/woman (2024 est.)

2% of GDP (2024 est.)
1.7% of GDP (2023)
1.2% of GDP (2022)
1.2% of GDP (2021)
1.3% of GDP (2020)

11.58% (2023 est.)
11.59% (2022 est.)
12.47% (2021 est.)

note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 3,107,100

male: 1,531,063

female: 1,576,037 (2024 est.)

3.856 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 608,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 3.153 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 94,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total : 28,748 sq km

land: 27,398 sq km

water: 1,350 sq km

18.1% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

$50.098 billion (2023 est.)
$48.201 billion (2022 est.)
$45.981 billion (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

total: 3,581 km (2022)

3 (2024)

total: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 9.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total subscriptions: 2.61 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98 (2022 est.)

29.4 (2020 est.)

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

4.76% (2023 est.)
6.73% (2022 est.)
2.04% (2021 est.)

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

-$281.7 million (2023 est.)
-$1.117 billion (2022 est.)
-$1.37 billion (2021 est.)

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

$18,200 (2023 est.)
$17,400 (2022 est.)
$16,400 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

total: 632,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (2023 est.)

total: 22.4% (2020 est.)

male: 38.8% (2020 est.)

female: 6% (2020 est.)

21.7% (2016)

30.306 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

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

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

installed generating capacity: 2.635 million kW (2022 est.)

consumption: 6.5 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports: 2.123 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports: 3.044 billion kWh (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 1.423 billion kWh (2022 est.)

total: 69 (2023)

by type: general cargo 46, oil tanker 1, other 22

1.5% (2017/18)

$10.374 billion (2023 est.)
$9.016 billion (2022 est.)
$8.004 billion (2021 est.)

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

$9.099 billion (2023 est.)
$7.057 billion (2022 est.)
$5.612 billion (2021 est.)

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

total subscriptions: 173,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2023 est.)

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.)

total population: 79.9 years (2024 est.)

male: 77.3 years

female: 82.8 years

3.94% (2023 est.)
4.83% (2022 est.)
8.91% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

3.08% (2023 est.)

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

total: 424 km (2017)

2021-All the trains in the country suspended

agriculture: 16.2% (2023 est.)

industry: 23% (2023 est.)

services: 48% (2023 est.)

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

0.18% of GDP (2018 est.)

0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

3.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

0.16% (2024 est.)