Albania’s economy grew steadily in 2025. Most sectors performed well. Investors, both domestic and foreign, showed increased interest.

Minister of Economy and Innovation Delina Ibrahimaj presented the latest economic data today. She also outlined expectations for 2026, focusing on growth, innovation, and alignment with European standards.

According to INSTAT, GDP grew 3.75% in Q3 2025. This exceeded the EU average of 1.6% and the Western Balkans average of 3.4%. For the first nine months, growth reached 3.73%. The government expects annual growth of 3.9%.

Sector highlights: Services and public and private investments led growth. Construction rose 4.75%. Trade, transport, and accommodation, linked to tourism, grew 2.62%. Information and communication expanded 10.4%, and real estate activities increased 10.55%. Public administration, education, and health added 1.68 percentage points to overall growth.

However, agriculture, forestry, and fishing fell 1.73%. Industry slowed 4.75%, mainly due to extractive and textile processing sectors.

Tourism remains the main driver. Foreign arrivals reached about 12 million in the first 11 months. Tourists stayed on average nine days. Hotels and restaurants grew 16% in nominal terms and 3.43% in real terms. Travel services generated €4.4 billion, and overall services contributed €6.5 billion, up 14%.

Household consumption increased 1.25%, reflecting stability and controlled inflation below the Bank of Albania’s target.

External sector improvements: Exports rose 12.55% and imports 5.47%. Q3 2025 recorded a surplus of €658 million. For the nine months, the surplus reached about €50 billion. Exported services, especially tourism, contributed significantly.

Investments rose 4.78% in Q3, showing sustained confidence. Foreign direct investment reached €1.2 billion for the nine months, up €51 million from last year. Main sectors: real estate 31%, financial intermediation 16%, hydrocarbons, energy, and communications.

Labor market: Unemployment fell to 8.1%. Average gross salary rose to 83,300 lek, up 7.25% from 2024.

Conclusion: Ibrahimaj stressed that Albania shows a strong, stable economy. Despite global uncertainties, the economy proved resilient. The latest IMF report confirms sustained growth and robust macroeconomic indicators. She noted global instability remains the main risk, but it has not yet affected Q3 results.

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