Albania Travel Podcast with Endrit Hoxha

Location

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

Terrain

Mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Climate

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

Elevation

Highest point

Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m

Lowest point

Adriatic Sea 0 m

Mean elevation

708 m

Area

Total

28,748 sq km

Land

27,398 sq km

Water

1,350 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly smaller than Maryland

Coastline

362 km

Land borders

Total

691 km

Border countries

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

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.)

Arable land

21.6% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

3.2% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

13.4% (2023 est.)

Forest

34.3% (2023 est.)

Other

27.5% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

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

Note

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

Population

Total

2,551,837 (2025 est.)

Male

1,229,151

Female

1,322,686

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.)

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)

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.)

Median age

Total

37.9 years (2025 est.)

Male

34.8 years

Female

37.8 years

Life expectancy

Total population

79.9 years (2024 est.)

Male

77.3 years

Female

82.8 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

64.6% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

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

Where people live

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

Largest cities

520,000 TIRANA (capital) (2023)

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.

Government

Parliamentary republic

Capital

Tirana (Tirane)

Time zone

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

Local name

Republika e Shqiperise

Independence

28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)

National day

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

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

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.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.2% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.8% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

6.7% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

10.3% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

10.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

10.2% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

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.)

Main industries

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

Agriculture

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

Airports

3 (2025)

Railways

Total 424 km (2017)

Ports

Total ports

3 (2024)

Large

0

Medium

0

Small

1

Very small

2

Ports with oil terminals

0

Key ports

Durres, Shengjin, Vlores

Internet domain

.al

Internet users

Percent of population 83% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

2.49 million (2024 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

89 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

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

Fresh water

30.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)