2023 Edition

Background

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.

Area

land

27,398 sq km

total

28,748 sq km

water

1,350 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

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

Coastline

362 km

Elevation

highest point

Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m

lowest point

Adriatic Sea 0 m

mean elevation

708 m

Geographic coordinates

41 00 N, 20 00 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

1,820 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

691 km

Land use

agricultural land

42.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 22.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.)

forest

28.8% (2018 est.)

other

28.2% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Scutari (shared with Montenegro) - 400 sq kmnote - largest lake in the Balkans

Major watersheds (area sq km)

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

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

Population distribution

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

Terrain

mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Age structure

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

1.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

4.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

1.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

12.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

1.2% (2018 est.)

women married by age 15

1.4%

women married by age 18

11.8%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.5% (2017/18)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

46% (2017/18)

Current health expenditure

6.7% of GDP (2018)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

67.2% (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

24.1

potential support ratio

4.2 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

48.2

youth dependency ratio

24.1

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 96.4% of population

improved: total

total: 97% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.3% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 3.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 3% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.7% of population

Education expenditures

3.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.75 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant mortality rate

female

9.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

11.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.6 years

male

77 years

total population

79.7 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.2% (2021)

male

98.7%

total population

98.4%

Major urban areas - population

520,000 TIRANA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

37.2 years

male

34.3 years

total

35.8 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

26.6 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Albanian

noun

Albanian(s)

Net migration rate

-3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.7% (2016)

Physicians density

1.88 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

3,101,621 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.19% (2023 est.)

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.2% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2020)

male

13 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

6% (2020 est.)

male

38.8% (2020 est.)

total

22.4% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.55 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

64.6% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

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, but may derive from Tirkan Fortress, whose ruins survive on the slopes of Dajti mountain and which overlooks the city

geographic coordinates

41 19 N, 19 49 E

name

Tirana (Tirane)

time difference

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

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

amendments

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; amended several times, last in 2020

history

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

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Albania

conventional short form

Albania

etymology

the English-language country name seems to be derived from the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani; the native name "Shqiperia" is derived from the Albanian word "Shqiponje" ("Eagle") and is popularly interpreted to mean "Land of the Eagles"

former

People's Socialist Republic of Albania

local long form

Republika e Shqiperise

local short form

Shqiperia

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David WISNER (since August 2023)

email address and website

ACSTirana@state.govhttps://al.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Rruga Stavro Vinjau, No. 14, Tirana

FAX

[355] 4 2232-222

mailing address

9510 Tirana Place, Washington DC  20521-9510

telephone

[355] 4 2247-285

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Ervin BUSHATI (since 15 September 2023)

consulate(s) general

New York

email address and website

embassy.washington@mfa.gov.alhttp://www.ambasadat.gov.al/usa/en

FAX

[1] (202) 628-7342

telephone

[1] (202) 223-4942

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 boycotted2017: Ilir META elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 87-2

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

head of government

Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Arben AHMETAJ (since 18 September 2021)

Flag description

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"

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

note

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

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)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open party-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party/coalition - PS 48.7%, PD-Alliance for Change 39.4%, LSI 6.8%, PSD 2.3%, other 2.8%; seats by party/coalition - PS 74, PD-Alliance for Change 59, LSI 4, PSD 3; composition as of August 2023 - men 90, women 50, percent of women 35.7%

elections

last held on 25 April 2021 (next to be held in 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU

name

"Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)

note

note: adopted 1912

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Butrint (c); Historic Berat and Gjirokastër (c); Primeval Beech Forests (n); Lake Ohrid Region (m)

total World Heritage Sites

4 (2 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

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

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Change (electoral coalition led by PD)Democratic Party or PD [Lulzim BASHA]Party for Justice, Integration and Unity pr PDIU [Shpetim IDRIZI] (part of the Alliance for Change))Social Democratic Party or PSD [Tom DOSHI]Freedom Party of Albania or PL [Ilir META] (formerly the Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI)Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, maize, tomatoes, potatoes, watermelons, wheat, grapes, cucumbers, onions, apples

Budget

expenditures

$4.489 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$4.19 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Moody's rating

B1 (2021)

note

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

Standard & Poors rating

B+ (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$1.219 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$1.315 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$1.37 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$9.547 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$9.311 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

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

Exchange rates

Currency

leke (ALL) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

119.1 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

107.989 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

109.851 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

108.65 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

103.52 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$4.822 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$3.461 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$5.612 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

leather footwear and parts, electricity, crude petroleum, iron alloys, clothing, insulated wiring (2021)

note

note: Albanian cannabis production remains a significant illicit trade export

Exports - partners

Italy 45%, Spain 8%, Germany 6%, Greece 5%, France 4%, China 4% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

31.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption

11.5% (2017 est.)

household consumption

78.1% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-46.6% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

25.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.2% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

21.7% (2017 est.)

industry

24.2% (2017 est.)

services

54.1% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$15.273 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

30.8 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

19.6% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%

4.1%

Imports

Imports 2019

$6.926 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$5.671 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$8.004 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, tanned hides, packaged medical supplies, footwear parts (2019)

Imports - partners

Italy 28%, Greece 12%, China 11%, Turkey 9%, Germany 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

16% (2021 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

1.41% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

1.62% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.04% (2021 est.)

Labor force

1.378 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

14.3% (2012 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2018

64.57% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

75.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

84.06% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$38.976 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$37.619 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$40.822 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.09% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-3.48% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

8.52% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$13,700 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$13,300 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$14,500 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$3.764 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$4.817 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$5.635 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

17.02% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: these official rates may not include those working at near-subsistence farming

Unemployment rate 2019

11.47% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

13.33% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

11.82% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

27.6%

male

28%

total

27.8% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

235,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

78,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

3.482 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

3.794 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

119,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

110,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

9,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

522 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

6,527,980,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

963 million kWh (2020 est.)

imports

3.239 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

2.531 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.054 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

99.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

38.442 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

42.05 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

42.05 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

5.692 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

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.)

refined petroleum consumption

26,400 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

16,100 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

3,250 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

26,660 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

5,638 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (2020 est.)

total

508,937 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

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 (2019)

Internet country code

.al

Internet users

percent of population

79% (2021 est.)

total

2.291 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

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)

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)

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

7 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

197,690 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

92 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

2,635,466 (2021 est.)

Airports

3 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

joint use (civil-military) airports

1

military airports

1

note

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.)

other airports

1

total

3

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

ZA

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 47, oil tanker 1, other 21

total

69 (2022)

National air transport system

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

303,137 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

5

number of registered air carriers

2 (2020)

Pipelines

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

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore

Railways

note

2021-All the trains in the country suspended

total

424 km (2017)

Roadways

total

3,945 km (2018)

Waterways

41 km (2011) (on the Bojana River)

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 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; the AAF 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 primary ground combat units include three light infantry battalions (or battle groups), including one trained and certified for NATO missions, and a special operations regiment; the Naval Force and Coast Guard operate a small force of patrol boats while the Air Force has a small inventory of helicopters (2023)

Military and security forces

Republic of Albania Armed Forces (Forcat e Armatosura të Republikës së Shqipërisë (FARSH); aka Albanian Armed Forces): Land Forces, Naval Force (includes Coast Guard), Air ForcesMinistry of Interior: Guard of the Republic, State Police (includes the Border and Migration Police) (2023)

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 and security service personnel strengths

approximately 7,000 total active-duty personnel (5,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 500 Air Force) (2023)

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 purchases  (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

1.5% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.3% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.4% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-27 (up to 32 in some cases) for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished 2010 (2023)

note

note: as of 2023, women comprised about 15% of the military's full-time personnel, including 20% of the officers

Disputes - international

none identified

Illicit drugs

a source country for cannabis and an active transshipment point for Albanian narco-trafficking organizations moving illicit drugs into European markets

Refugees and internally displaced persons

note

note: 46,944 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-October 2023)

refugees (country of origin)

7,495 (Ukraine) (as of 7 November 2023)

stateless persons

1,948 (2022)

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 Appendix T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

4.54 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

2.55 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

16.28 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

42.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 22.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.)

forest

28.8% (2018 est.)

other

28.2% (2018 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Scutari (shared with Montenegro) - 400 sq kmnote - largest lake in the Balkans

Major watersheds (area sq km)

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

Revenue from coal

0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.18% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

30.2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

550 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

230 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

64.6% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1,142,964 tons (2015 est.)