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.
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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
Land boundaries
total: 691 km
border countries (4): 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: 41.4% (2022 est.)
arable land: 21.8% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 3.2% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 16.4% (2022 est.)
forest: 28.8% (2022 est.)
other: 29.8% (2022 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
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: 3,107,100 (2024 est.)
male: 1,531,063
female: 1,576,037
comparison rankings: total 137; male 138; female 137
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.)
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
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: 47.8 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 24.3 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 23.5 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 4.3 (2024 est.)
Median age
total: 36.3 years (2024 est.)
male: 34.8 years
female: 37.8 years
comparison ranking: total 91
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.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.2 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 130
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 79.9 years (2024 est.)
male: 77.3 years
female: 82.8 years
comparison ranking: total population 61
Gross reproduction rate
0.75 (2024 est.)
Drinking water source
improved:
urban: 95.7% of population (2022 est.)
rural: 94.1% of population (2022 est.)
total: 95.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved:
urban: 4.3% of population (2022 est.)
rural: 5.9% of population (2022 est.)
total: 4.9% of population (2022 est.)
Health expenditure
7.3% of GDP (2021)
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: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved:
urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
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.)
comparison ranking: total 90
Tobacco use
total: 21.4% (2025 est.)
male: 37% (2025 est.)
female: 6.2% (2025 est.)
comparison ranking: total 59
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
67.2% (2023 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
2.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
10.1% national budget (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: Education expenditure (% GDP) 155
Literacy
total population: 98.8% (2017 est.)
male: 98.6% (2017 est.)
female: 99% (2017 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: 41.4% (2022 est.)
arable land: 21.8% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 3.2% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 16.4% (2022 est.)
forest: 28.8% (2022 est.)
other: 29.8% (2022 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
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.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 146
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
percentage of women in chamber: 35.7%
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
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
note: Albania is an EU candidate country and must complete accession criteria before being granted full membership
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
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)
$51.36 billion (2024 est.)
$49.403 billion (2023 est.)
$47.532 billion (2022 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 127
Real GDP growth rate
4% (2024 est.)
3.9% (2023 est.)
4.8% (2022 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 76
Real GDP per capita
$18,900 (2024 est.)
$18,000 (2023 est.)
$17,100 (2022 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 106
GDP (official exchange rate)
$27.178 billion (2024 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.2% (2024 est.)
4.8% (2023 est.)
6.7% (2022 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
comparison ranking: 61
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 15.5% (2024 est.)
industry: 22.4% (2024 est.)
services: 48.9% (2024 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: agriculture 54; industry 116; services 153
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.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Agricultural products
milk, maize, tomatoes, watermelons, potatoes, wheat, grapes, onions, cucumbers/gherkins, olives (2023)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
food; footwear, apparel and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Industrial production growth rate
-0.2% (2024 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 140
Labor force
1.37 million (2024 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
comparison ranking: 138
Unemployment rate
10.3% (2024 est.)
10.2% (2023 est.)
10.2% (2022 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment
comparison ranking: 150
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 25.1% (2024 est.)
male: 23.9% (2024 est.)
female: 26.9% (2024 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
comparison ranking: total 34
Population below poverty line
22% (2020 est.)
note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
29.4 (2020 est.)
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
comparison ranking: 125
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.4% (2020 est.)
highest 10%: 22.8% (2020 est.)
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Remittances
8.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
8.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
9.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Budget
revenues: $6.636 billion (2023 est.)
expenditures: $6.966 billion (2023 est.)
note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Public debt
81.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
note: central government debt as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 38
Taxes and other revenues
17.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 68
Current account balance
-$646.107 million (2024 est.)
-$281.7 million (2023 est.)
-$1.117 billion (2022 est.)
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
comparison ranking: 114
Exports
$9.848 billion (2024 est.)
$9.099 billion (2023 est.)
$7.057 billion (2022 est.)
note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 117
Exports - partners
Italy 41%, Greece 10%, Germany 5%, Spain 5%, Serbia 4% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports - commodities
garments, footwear, electricity, crude petroleum, iron alloys (2023)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$11.697 billion (2024 est.)
$10.374 billion (2023 est.)
$9.016 billion (2022 est.)
note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 113
Imports - partners
Italy 22%, China 11%, Turkey 9%, Germany 7%, Greece 6% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports - commodities
cars, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine, iron bars (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$6.516 billion (2024 est.)
$6.455 billion (2023 est.)
$5.266 billion (2022 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
comparison ranking: 89
Debt - external
$5.363 billion (2023 est.)
note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
comparison ranking: 71
Exchange rates
leke (ALL) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
93.123 (2024 est.)
100.645 (2023 est.)
113.042 (2022 est.)
103.52 (2021 est.)
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.)
comparison rankings: installed generating capacity 111; consumption 116; exports 56; imports 68; transmission/distribution losses 111
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.)
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 173,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 122
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 2.61 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 145
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 users
percent of population: 83% (2023 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 632,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total 89
Transportation
Railways
total: 424 km (2017)
2021-All the trains in the country suspended
Merchant marine
total: 69 (2023)
by type: general cargo 46, oil tanker 1, other 22
comparison ranking: total 110
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)
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.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 7,500 active-duty military personnel (2025)
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 deliveries (2024)
Military service age and obligation
18-27 (up to 32 in some cases) for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished 2010 (2024)
note: as of 2024, women comprised about 15% of the military's full-time personnel
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)
Terrorist group(s): Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
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 the Terrorism reference guide
Transnational Issues
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees: 9,381 (2024 est.)
stateless persons: 2,203 (2024 est.)