Friday 19:18
Economy
by Besart Ruka (Tirana) Every time a figure on Tirana apartment prices enters circulation, the comparison that immediately surfaces is Belgrade, Skopje, Sarajevo, or Pristina. Fair enough. All six capitals share related history, similar banking systems, salaries in a comparable range. But it is a comparison that stops at the surface. Tirana is the …
Economy
The Council does not rank economies, but its own data show Albania delivering the most balanced macroeconomic profile in the Western Balkans in 2025. by Ardit Rada (Tirana) The Council of the European Union convened the annual Economic and Financial Dialogue with regional partners in Brussels today. The draft Joint Conclusions, endorsed by the …
Economy
In a public conversation with Linda Rama, the Chinese economist traces the mechanism behind China’s divergence from the path Albania took in 1978, the costs the model has accumulated, and the limits it is now reaching. by Rexhina Bici (Tirana) Keyu Jin came to Tirana with a book and an argument. The book, The …
Economy
From reserve returns to road haulage, Albania’s economic picture is more complicated than the headline numbers suggest. by Dorina Muka (Tirana) Albania closed 2025 with a set of economic indicators that, read in isolation, suggest stability and even modest progress. The foreign reserve grew. Deposit insurance funds expanded. Renewable energy capacity nearly doubled. Read …
Economy
By Dorina Muka (Tirana) The opening months of 2026 have not delivered a crisis. Tourism is soft but operators expect recovery. Credit quality has reached its best level since before the 2008 financial crisis. Wages are rising across the formal economy. Car sales are setting records. By the indicators that tend to dominate economic commentary, Albania’s …
Economy
by Bekim Besimi (Venice, Italy) Economist Irena Beqiraj published a critique this week of Albania’s 2025 foreign direct investment figures that deserves a careful answer. Her argument is structurally sound and her instinct is correct. The execution has a flaw at its statistical center that matters enough to address directly. Her case runs as …
Economy
By Dorina Muka (Tirana) The February deposit data from the Bank of Albania are being read, in some quarters, as a warning sign. Lek savings fell by 4.3 billion lek on the month. The headline number is technically accurate and analytically thin. What actually happened in February is straightforward once January is understood. State budget …
Economy
Albania’s energy system runs on rainfall. The infrastructure pipeline that could change that is years away. In the interval, the vulnerability is structural. By Besart Ruka (Tirana) In October 2021, Albania declared a formal energy emergency. Drought had depleted the Drini cascade to the point where Fierza was operating at minimum capacity; the government …
Economy
After years of construction-led expansion and post-pandemic tailwinds, Albania’s latest confidence data suggest the economy is shifting from rapid rebound to a more fragile, externally exposed phase of growth. by Bekim Besimi (Venice, Italy) Albania’s post-pandemic expansion is entering a quieter, more revealing phase. The latest Business and Consumer Confidence Survey from the Bank …
