Factbook dossier
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.
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
Area
total : 28,748 sq km land: 27,398 sq km water: 1,350 sq km
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land
Natural hazards
destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought
Population
total: 2,551,837 (2025 est.) male: 1,229,151 female: 1,322,686
Ethnic groups
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
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.) note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice
Environmental issues
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; air pollution from industrial and power plants; loss of biodiversity
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
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$51.36 billion (2024 est.) $49.403 billion (2023 est.) $47.532 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$18,900 (2024 est.) $18,000 (2023 est.) $17,100 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.2% (2024 est.) 4.8% (2023 est.) 6.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Italy 41%, Greece 10%, Germany 5%, Spain 5%, Serbia 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
Italy 22%, China 11%, Turkey 9%, Germany 7%, Greece 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Republic of Albania Armed Forces (Forcat e Armatosura t Republik s s Shqip ris (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) 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 expenditures
2% of GDP (2025 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)