Country explorer: Albania

Albania has experienced significant economic transformations including steady growth in GDP per capita, a reduction in unemployment rates, controlled inflation, and notable progress in poverty reduction, mirroring trends seen in other upper-middle-income countries but with distinctive strides in improving living standards and economic stability.

Albania has experienced a steady decline in population alongside substantial net emigration, a gradual decrease in fertility rates reaching near-replacement levels, and an improvement in life expectancy, trends that are broadly reflective of broader patterns observed in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, encapsulating the challenges of demographic transition and economic migration.

Albania has experienced significant improvements in basic needs, including a marked increase in access to clean cooking fuels, universal electricity access, a substantial rise in the use of safely managed drinking water, and a notable improvement in safely managed sanitation facilities, indicating a positive trajectory in enhancing the overall quality of life.

Albania has seen significant improvements in human development indicators, such as a healthy rise in its Human Development Index (HDI), reduction in child mortality rates, increases in adult literacy rates and learning-adjusted years of schooling, reflecting substantial progress in health, education, and quality of life that aligns with upper-middle-income countries despite its unique challenges and historical context.

Albania has seen a steady but slight increase in forest area while showing a more variable yet generally increasing trend in per capita CO₂ emissions, amidst significant growth in renewable energy production, highlighted by hydroelectric power, and maintaining relatively high renewable internal freshwater resources per capita, distinguishing it as a country with a notable shift towards renewable energy sources and preservation of natural resources in comparison to many of its peers.

Albania has shown a remarkable increase in Internet usage among its population and mobile phone subscriptions, indicative of its growing digital engagement and connectivity, parallel to trends observed in its regional peers, yet it lags behind in research & development spending and output, sharing this challenge with similar upper-middle-income countries.

In the past two decades, Albania has seen a gradual decrease in its age dependency ratio and a significant improvement in gender equality, alongside a modest increase in life satisfaction, reflecting societal shifts towards greater empowerment and economic stability, common trends among upper-middle-income countries.

Albania has shown a gradual improvement in governance, marked by increasing rule of law and political civil liberties, but it still faces challenges with corruption and press freedom, positioning it in a similar trajectory to its regional peers but with distinctive progresses and setbacks.