Balkans

Albania

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north.

Muslim population56.7%of the population

Population2.3 millionpeople (current)

CapitalTiranaUTC+1 · daylight saving in summer

Currency93.12 = $1Leke (ALL) (2024)

Country basics

Albania is a parliamentary republic in the western Balkans, on the Adriatic and Ionian seas.

Albania is a republic bordering Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Greece, with Tirana as its capital. Albanian is the official language, the lek is the currency, and services, agriculture and hydroelectric power form the base of the economy.

Official name

Republic of Albania

Region

Europe · Southeast Europe

Government

Unitary parliamentary republic

Time zonesCheck the offset for your own city

UTC+01:00

Driving side

Right

Phone code

+355

Currency

Albanian lek (ALL, L)

Member of

UN; NATO

Website

https://www.kryeministria.al

Faith and language

Religions

Muslim 56.7%, Roman Catholic 10%, Orthodox 6.8%, atheist 2.5%, Bektashi (a Sufi order) 2.1%, other 5.7%, unspecified 16.2%

Languages

Albanian

People and cities

Population

2.3 million (current)

Median ageHalf the population is younger than this

37.9 years (2025)

Living in cities

64.6% (2023)

Largest cities

Tirana (capital) 520,000

Money and cost of living

Exchange rateYearly average; check today’s rate before you budget

93.12 leke (ALL) per US dollar (2024)

Income per personGDP per person, adjusted for local prices (2021 dollars)

$18,900 (2024)

InflationHow much prices rose over the year

2.2% (2024)

Unemployment

10.3% (2024)

Health and daily life

Life expectancy

79.9 years (2024)

Doctors

1.88 per 1,000 people (2020)

Hospital beds

2.9 per 1,000 people (2020)

Safe drinking water

95.1% of people (2022)

Electricity

100% of people (2022)

Internet users

83% of people (2023)

Literacy

97.7% of adults (2023)

Land and climate

Climate

Mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter

SizeSlightly smaller than Maryland

28,748 sq km

Natural hazards

Destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought

National holiday

Independence Day, 28 November (1912), also known as Flag Day