Albania is experiencing a clear rise in return migration. According to the 2024 National Migration Survey, conducted by INSTAT in cooperation with the World Bank, 22% of Albanian emigrants have returned to the country.

Over the past 12 years, 109,000 Albanians have come back home. Notably, nearly half of them, or 45%, returned between 2020 and 2024. As a result, the pace of returns has accelerated significantly in recent years.

In terms of age, most returnees are over 35. Meanwhile, 29% fall in the 25–34 age group. By contrast, only 9% are aged 15–24. This pattern shows that return migration mainly involves adults ready to work.

Most returnees come from Italy and Greece. In contrast, emigrants living in more distant countries return less frequently.

When it comes to employment, returned men show higher employment rates. About 67% of returned men are employed, compared with 59% of non-migrant men. Similarly, returned women perform at levels close to non-migrant women, with employment rates of 34% and 36% respectively.

Meanwhile, self-employment among returnees has steadily increased. It rose from 7% among those who returned in 2000–2004 to 29% among those who returned in 2015–2024. Earlier, it peaked at 34% for those who returned in 2010–2014.

Additionally, women who returned earlier show higher self-employment rates than men, at 41% compared with 25%. Most self-employed returnees work individually. However, they are more likely to become employers, especially those who spent more than six years abroad.

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