TIRANA, November 14 – The IMF mission in Albania concluded its work. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Petrit Malaj spoke at the joint press conference with the head of the IMF mission in Albania and the Governor of the Bank of Albania.

He said the Albanian economy expanded 3.6% in the first half of 2025. In addition, he stated that this performance reflects its solid health.

Malaj added that the expansion covered all sectors of the economy. Meanwhile, he noted that the 2025 forecast shows 3.9% growth, supported by strong real-sector dynamics.

He said Albania has shown the capacity to adapt and to protect its development trajectory. In addition, he underlined that institutions managed risks with maturity and designed policies to reduce the costs of external shocks.

Malaj also reported that total investments increased 4.1%. At the same time, he stressed that strategic projects in infrastructure and energy will continue to support economic growth.

He shifted to the labour market and said it is undergoing a historic transformation. Meanwhile, he explained that unemployment fell to its historic minimum of 8.5%.

He said employment continues to grow steadily and wages are rising in every sector. In addition, he stated that these trends show that economic growth is translating into improved well-being.

Malaj emphasized that inflation remains low and stable. He said the average rate for 2024 and the first ten months of 2025 stands at 2.2%. Meanwhile, he added that the 2024 current account deficit is 2.4% of GDP, below the historical average of 6–7%.

/a.p./