Albania
Introduction
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
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
Geographic coordinates
41 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references
Europe
Area
total
28,748 sq km
land
27,398 sq km
water
1,350 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries
total
691 km
border countries
Greece 212 km; Kosovo 112 km; North Macedonia 181 km; Montenegro 186 km
Coastline
362 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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
Elevation
highest point
Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m
lowest point
Adriatic Sea 0 m
mean elevation
708 m
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.)
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.)
forest
34.3% (2023 est.)
other
27.5% (2023 est.)
Irrigated land
1,907 sq km (2022)
Major lakes (area sq km)
fresh water lake(s)
Lake Scutari (shared with Montenegro) - 400 sq km
note - largest lake in the Balkans
note - largest lake in the Balkans
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage
(Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Population distribution
a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country
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)
People and Society
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)
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.)
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)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio
49 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio
24.1 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio
24.9 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio
4 (2025 est.)
Median age
total
37.9 years (2025 est.)
male
34.8 years
female
37.8 years
Population growth rate
-1.06% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
8.71 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
-11.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution
a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country
Urbanization
urban population
64.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
520,000 TIRANA (capital) (2023)
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
65 years and over
0.85 male(s)/female
total population
0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
26.6 years (2020 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
7 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
10.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male
11.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female
9.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
total population
79.9 years (2024 est.)
male
77.3 years
female
82.8 years
Total fertility rate
1.09 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
0.52 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban
urban: 95.7% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural
rural: 94.1% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 95.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 4.3% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 5.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 4.9% of population (2022 est.)
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.)
Physician density
1.88 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Hospital bed density
2.9 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban
urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural
rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
21.7% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
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.)
Tobacco use
total
21.4% (2025 est.)
male
37% (2025 est.)
female
6.2% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
1.5% (2017 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
65.7% (2018 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 15
1.4% (2018)
women married by age 18
11.8% (2018)
men married by age 18
1.2% (2018)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% GDP)
3.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget)
10.9% national budget (2023 est.)
Literacy
total population
97.7% (2023 est.)
male
98.2% (2023 est.)
female
97.2% (2023 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total
15 years (2023 est.)
male
14 years (2023 est.)
female
15 years (2023 est.)
Environment
Environmental issues
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; air pollution from industrial and power plants; loss of biodiversity
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
Climate
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Land use
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.)
forest
34.3% (2023 est.)
other
27.5% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
64.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
total emissions
3.392 million 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.)
from consumed natural gas
93,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions
16.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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.)
Total water withdrawal
municipal
221 million cubic meters (2022)
industrial
11 million cubic meters (2022)
agricultural
565 million cubic meters (2022)
Total renewable water resources
30.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Government
Country name
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"
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
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
Administrative divisions
12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane (Tirana), Vlore
Legal system
civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" is still present
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
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
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
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
most recent election date
held in 4 rounds on 16, 23, and 30 May and 4 June 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
expected date of next election
2027
Legislative branch
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
5/11/2025
parties elected and seats per party
Socialist Party of Albania (PS) (83); Democratic Party - Alliance for a Greater Albania (PD-ASHM) (50); Other (7)
percentage of women in chamber
35%
expected date of next election
May 2029
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)
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
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
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
Diplomatic representation from the US
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/
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, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Independence
28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday
Independence Day, 28 November (1912), also known as Flag Day
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
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
National symbol(s)
black double-headed eagle
National color(s)
red, black
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
National anthem(s)
title
"Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)
lyrics/music
Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU
history
adopted 1912; only the first two stanzas of the original poem are used, with the second stanza as a chorus
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)
Economy
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$51.36 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$49.403 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$47.532 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2024
4% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023
3.9% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022
4.8% (2022 est.)
Real 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.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$27.178 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
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.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture
15.5% (2024 est.)
industry
22.4% (2024 est.)
services
48.9% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
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.)
Agricultural products
milk, maize, tomatoes, watermelons, potatoes, wheat, grapes, onions, cucumbers/gherkins, olives (2023)
Industries
food; footwear, apparel and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Industrial production growth rate
-0.2% (2024 est.)
Labor force
1.37 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2024
10.3% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023
10.2% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022
10.2% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total
25.1% (2024 est.)
male
23.9% (2024 est.)
female
26.9% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line
22% (2020 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020
29.4 (2020 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
3.4% (2020 est.)
highest 10%
22.8% (2020 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2024
8.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023
8.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022
9.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Budget
revenues
$6.636 billion (2023 est.)
expenditures
$6.966 billion (2023 est.)
Public debt
Public debt 2021
81.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
17.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Current account balance
Current account balance 2024
-$646.107 million (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023
-$281.7 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022
-$1.117 billion (2022 est.)
Exports
Exports 2024
$9.848 billion (2024 est.)
Exports 2023
$9.099 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022
$7.057 billion (2022 est.)
Exports - partners
Italy 41%, Greece 10%, Germany 5%, Spain 5%, Serbia 4% (2023)
Exports - commodities
garments, footwear, electricity, crude petroleum, iron alloys (2023)
Imports
Imports 2024
$11.697 billion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023
$10.374 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022
$9.016 billion (2022 est.)
Imports - partners
Italy 22%, China 11%, Turkey 9%, Germany 7%, Greece 6% (2023)
Imports - commodities
cars, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine, iron bars (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$6.516 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$6.455 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$5.266 billion (2022 est.)
Debt - external
Debt - external 2023
$5.363 billion (2023 est.)
Exchange rates
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.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population
100% (2022 est.)
Electricity
installed generating capacity
2.857 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption
7.49 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports
2.2 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports
1.922 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses
1.238 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar
3.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity
96.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
production
473,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption
255,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
exports
345,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports
180,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves
522 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production
14,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption
21,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves
150 million barrels (2021 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.)
Energy consumption per capita
Total energy consumption per capita 2023
27.407 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Communications
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.)
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
Internet users
percent of population
83% (2023 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total
632,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
22 (2023 est.)
Transportation
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
ZA
Airports
3 (2025)
Heliports
9 (2025)
Railways
total
424 km (2017)
Merchant marine
total
69 (2023)
by type
general cargo 46, oil tanker 1, other 22
Ports
total ports
3 (2024)
large
0
medium
0
small
1
very small
2
ports with oil terminals
0
key ports
Durres, Shengjin, Vlores
Military and Security
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)
Ministry of Interior: Guard of the Republic, State Police (includes the Border and Migration Police) (2025)
Military expenditures
Military Expenditures 2025
2% of GDP (2025 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024
1.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023
1.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022
1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021
1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 7,500 active-duty military personnel (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 service age and obligation
18-30 for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished 2010 (2025)
Military deployments
250 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2025)
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)
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.)