Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939 and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of isolated communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents.Albania has made progress in its democratic development since it first held multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. Most of Albania’s post-communist elections were marred by claims of electoral fraud; however, international observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and in June 2014 became an EU candidate. In April 2017, Albania received a European Commission recommendation to open EU accession negotiations following the passage of historic EU-mandated justice reforms in 2016. Albania - along with North Macedonia - opened EU accession talks in 2022. Although Albania’s economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and a weak energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.
land: 27,398 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km
border countries (4): Greece 212 km; Kosovo 112 km; Macedonia 181 km; Montenegro 186 km
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 708 m
arable land: 22.3% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.)
forest: 28.8% (2018 est.)
other: 28.2% (2018 est.)
3,101,621 (2023 est.)
noun: Albanian(s)
adjective: Albanian
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
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.
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
0-14 years: 17.9% (male 290,624/female 264,536)
15-64 years: 67.53% (male 1,030,436/female 1,064,217)
65 years and over: 14.57% (2023 est.) (male 207,960/female 243,848)
total dependency ratio: 48.2
youth dependency ratio: 24.1
elderly dependency ratio: 24.1
potential support ratio: 4.2 (2021 est.)
total: 35.8 years (2023 est.)
male: 34.3 years
female: 37.2 years
0.19% (2023 est.)
12.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country
urban population: 64.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
520,000 TIRANA (capital) (2023)
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.1 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 (2023 est.)
26.6 years (2020 est.)
8 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.5 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 79.7 years (2023 est.)
male: 77 years
female: 82.6 years
1.55 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.75 (2023 est.)
46% (2017/18)
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.)
6.7% of GDP (2018)
1.88 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
2.9 beds/1,000 population (2013)
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.)
21.7% (2016)
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: 22.4% (2020 est.)
male: 38.8% (2020 est.)
female: 6% (2020 est.)
1.5% (2017/18)
67.2% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 1.4%
women married by age 18: 11.8%
men married by age 18: 1.2% (2018 est.)
3.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4%
male: 98.7%
female: 98.2% (2021)
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 15 years (2020)
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
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
agricultural land: 42.8% (2018 est.)
arable land: 22.3% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.)
forest: 28.8% (2018 est.)
other: 28.2% (2018 est.)
urban population: 64.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0.18% of GDP (2018 est.)
0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)
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 solid waste generated annually: 1,142,964 tons (2015 est.)
fresh water lake(s): Lake Scutari (shared with Montenegro) - 400 sq km
note - largest lake in the Balkans
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
municipal: 230 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 550 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
30.2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
future hopeful EU member state; oil and gas exporter but investing toward a “blue economy”; COVID-19 and earthquake economic disruptions and declines; experiencing high debt and account balances; strengthening private sector growth and public sector trust
$40.822 billion (2021 est.)
$37.619 billion (2020 est.)
$38.976 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
8.52% (2021 est.)
-3.48% (2020 est.)
2.09% (2019 est.)
$14,500 (2021 est.)
$13,300 (2020 est.)
$13,700 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$15.273 billion (2019 est.)
2.04% (2021 est.)
1.62% (2020 est.)
1.41% (2019 est.)
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.
agriculture: 21.7% (2017 est.)
industry: 24.2% (2017 est.)
services: 54.1% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 78.1% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 11.5% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 25.2% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 31.5% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -46.6% (2017 est.)
milk, maize, tomatoes, potatoes, watermelons, wheat, grapes, cucumbers, onions, apples
food; footwear, apparel and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
16% (2021 est.)
1.378 million (2021 est.)
11.82% (2021 est.)
13.33% (2020 est.)
11.47% (2019 est.)
note: these official rates may not include those working at near-subsistence farming
total: 27.8% (2021 est.)
male: 28%
female: 27.6%
14.3% (2012 est.)
30.8 (2019 est.)
lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 19.6% (2015 est.)
revenues: $4.19 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $4.489 billion (2019 est.)
-2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
84.06% of GDP (2020 est.)
75.7% of GDP (2019 est.)
64.57% of GDP (2018 est.)
17.02% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
calendar year
-$1.37 billion (2021 est.)
-$1.315 billion (2020 est.)
-$1.219 billion (2019 est.)
$5.612 billion (2021 est.)
$3.461 billion (2020 est.)
$4.822 billion (2019 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Italy 45%, Spain 8%, Germany 6%, Greece 5%, France 4%, China 4% (2019)
leather footwear and parts, electricity, crude petroleum, iron alloys, clothing, insulated wiring (2021)
note: Albanian cannabis production remains a significant illicit trade export
$8.004 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$5.671 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$6.926 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Italy 28%, Greece 12%, China 11%, Turkey 9%, Germany 5% (2019)
refined petroleum, cars, tanned hides, packaged medical supplies, footwear parts (2019)
$5.635 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$4.817 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$3.764 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$9.311 billion (2019 est.)
$9.547 billion (2018 est.)
leke (ALL) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
103.52 (2021 est.)
108.65 (2020 est.)
109.851 (2019 est.)
107.989 (2018 est.)
119.1 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
installed generating capacity: 2.531 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 6,527,980,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 963 million kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 3.239 billion kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.054 billion kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 99.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 9,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 119,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 110,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 522 million metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 16,100 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 26,400 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 10,500 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 150 million barrels (2021 est.)
5,638 bbl/day (2015 est.)
3,250 bbl/day (2015 est.)
26,660 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 42.05 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
consumption: 42.05 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 5.692 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
3.794 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 235,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 3.482 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 78,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
38.442 million Btu/person (2019 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
3 (2021)
3
civil airports: 0
military airports: 1
joint use (civil-military) airports: 1
other airports: 1
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
498 km gas (a majority of the network is in disrepair and parts of it are missing), 249 km oil (2015)
total: 424 km (2017)
2021-All the trains in the country suspended
total: 3,945 km (2018)
paved: (2002)
unpaved: (2002)
41 km (2011) (on the Bojana River)
total: 69 (2022)
by type: general cargo 47, oil tanker 1, other 21
major seaport(s): Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore
manyapis