ALBANIA
BASIC INFORMATION:
Population 2018 (millions)q 3.047
GNP per capita 2018 (PPI, US$)... 12,500
GNP 20178 (Atlas method, US$ billions) 35.87
Unemployment 2017 14%
Total Area 250,000 sq. mi
Urban Population 60.3%
Life expectancy at birth (years) 78.5
Mortality rate, (per 1,000 live births) 11.9
Illiteracy (% of population age 15+) 2.4%
ECONOMICS:
Albania, is a developing country with a modern open-market economy. Albania managed to weather the first waves of the global financial crisis but, the negative effects of the crisis caused a significant economic slowdown. Since 2014, Albania’s economy has steadily improved and economic growth reached 3.8% in 2017. However, close trade, remittance, and banking sector ties with Greece and Italy make Albania vulnerable to spillover effects of possible debt crises and weak growth in the euro zone.
Remittances, a significant catalyst for economic growth, declined from 12-15% of GDP before the 2008 financial crisis to 5.8% of GDP in 2015, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy. The agricultural sector, which accounts for more than 40% of employment but less than one quarter of GDP, is limited primarily to small family operations and subsistence farming, because of a lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Complex tax codes and licensing requirements, a weak judicial system, endemic corruption, poor enforcement of contracts and property issues, and antiquated infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment making attracting foreign investment difficult. Since 2015, Albania has launched an ambitious program to increase tax compliance and bring more businesses into the formal economy. In July 2016, Albania passed constitutional amendments reforming the judicial system in order to strengthen the rule of law and to reduce deeply entrenched corruption.
Albania’s electricity supply is uneven despite upgraded transmission capacities with neighboring countries. However, the government has recently taken steps to stem non-technical losses and has begun to upgrade the distribution grid. Better enforcement of electricity contracts has improved the financial viability of the sector, decreasing its reliance on budget support. Also, with help from international donors, the government is taking steps to improve the poor road and rail networks, a long standing barrier to sustained economic growth.
Inward FDI has increased significantly in recent years as the government has embarked on an ambitious program to improve the business climate through fiscal and legislative reforms. The government is focused on the simplification of licensing requirements and tax codes, and it entered into a new arrangement with the IMF for additional financial and technical support. Albania’s three-year IMF program, an extended fund facility arrangement, was successfully concluded in February 2017. The Albanian Government has strengthened tax collection amid moderate public wage and pension increases in an effort to reduce its budget deficit. The country continues to face high public debt, exceeding its former statutory limit of 60% of GDP in 2013 and reaching 72% in 2016.
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 1016 | |
| GDP (current US$) (billions) | 2.1 | 3.63 | 11.93 | 11.88 |
| GDP growth (annual %) | -9.6 | 6.7 | 3.7 | 3.4 |
| Inflation, GDP deflator (annual %) | -0.5 | 4 | 4.5 | -0.5 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP) | 36 | 23 | 18 | 20 |
| Industry (including construction), value added (% of GDP) | 48 | 15 | 25 | 21 |
| Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) | 15 | 18 | 28 | 29 |
| Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) | 23 | 38 | 49 | 46 |
| Gross capital formation (% of GDP) | 29 | 32 | 30 | 25 |
| Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) | .. | 23.5 | 23.9 | 24.2 |
| Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) | .. | -6.7 | -3.9 | -2.5 |
| States and markets | ||||
| Time required to start a business (days) | .. | 41 | 6 | 5 |
| Domestic credit provided by financial sector (% of GDP) | .. | 49 | 67.5 | 66.2 |
| Tax revenue (% of GDP) | .. | 16.2 | 18 | 17.6 |
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) | 5.9 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
| Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) | 0 | 1 | 91.6 | 115.2 |
| Individuals using the Internet (% of population) | 0 | 0.1 | 45 | 66.4 |
| High-technology exports (% of manufactured exports) | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Statistical Capacity score (Overall average) | .. | .. | 70 | 82 |
| Global links | ||||
| Merchandise trade (% of GDP) | 29 | 37 | 50 | 56 |
| Net barter terms of trade index (2000 = 100) | .. | 100 | 94 | 93 |
| External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) (millions) | 0 | 1,122 | 5,372 | 8,437 |
| Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income) | 4.3 | 4.5 | 10.2 | 15.2 |
| Net migration (thousands) | -443 | -177 | -93 | .. |
| Personal remittances, received (current US$) (millions) | 152 | 598 | 1,587 | 1,306 |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) (millions) | 20 | 143 | 1,090 | 1,044 |
| Net official development assistance received (current US$) (millions) | 11.1 | 317.9 | 365.1 | 168.5 |
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Albania
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Republic Ilir META (since 24 July 2017)
head of government: Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Senida MESI (since 13 September 2017)
cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly
elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); a candidate needs three-fifths majority vote of the Assembly in 1 of 3 rounds or a simple majority in 2 additional rounds to become president; election last held in 4 rounds on 19, 20, 27, and 28 April 2017 (next election to be held in 2022); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly
election results: Ilir META elected president; Assembly vote - 87 - 2 in fourth round
Legislative branch:
description: unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)
elections: last held on 25 June 2017 (next to be held in 2021)
election results: percent of vote by party - PS 48.3%, PD 28.9%, LSI 14.3%, PDIU 4.8%, PSD 1%, other 2.7%; seats by party - PS 74, PD 43, LSI 19, PDIU 3, PSD 1
Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 17 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges, including the chairman, appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single 9-year terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years; chairman elected by the People's Assembly for a single 3-year term
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or PD [Lulzim BASHA]
Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU [Shpetim IDRIZI] (formerly part of APMI)
Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]
Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Monika KRYEMADHI]
Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]
History:
Albania began as a colony established by the Greeks over 600 years before Christ. After periods under the control of the Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Venetians, Slavs, and kings of Naples, Albania came under the control of the Ottoman Empire for over 400 years. Independence was achieved in 1912, although the country was occupied by Austria-Hungary and Italy, countries which had been instrumental in its creation. Eventually, a tribal chief named Ahmed Zogu was named president of the republic in 1924, though he named himself King Zog I, four years later. A socialist republic was established in 1946, after World War II. During that war, a resistance leader emerged, named Enver Hoxha. He had seized power in 1944. After 1946, the country was virtually closed to the outside world and a totalitarian regime developed. Hoxha became closely involved with China, following his break with the Soviet Union over Communist doctrine. That link, too, was broken in 1977 and Albania all but ceased to participate in any world affairs. Hoxha died in 1985 and by the early 1990s, anarchy and chaos was the norm in the country. In 1994, a measure of order was restored, only to have problems return in 1997. NATO came to help establish an Albanian army in 1998 at a time when ethnic Albanians began rebelling in Kosovo (Yugoslavia) and were ultimately driven out of that province and into Albania. In late 1998, internal disarray continued with violence erupting between the Democratic Party and the Socialists, who had been in control since 1997.
People:
Albanians are made up of two major subgroups: the Gegs, who generally occupy the area north of the Shkumbin River, and the Tosks, most of whom live south of the river. Ethnic Albanians are estimated to account for 90 percent of the population. The largest ethnic minority within Albania are Greek, who make up about 3% of the total population. The rest of the population is made up by Vlachs, Serbs, Gypsies, and Bulgarians. 38% of Albanians live in cities and towns.
1990 2000 2010 2016
Income share held by lowest 20% .. 8.4 8.9 ..
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) 72 74 77 78
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) 3 2.2 1.7 1.7
Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) 18 19 20 21
Contraceptive prevalence, any methods (% of women ages 15-49) .. 58 69 ..
Births attended by skilled health staff (% of total) 93 99 99 ..
Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) 40 26 17 14
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age (% of children under 5) .. 17 6.3 ..
Immunization, measles (% of children ages 12-23 months) 88 95 99 96
Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) .. 97 89 106
School enrollment, primary (% gross) 99.8 104.7 93.8 109.8
School enrollment, secondary (% gross) 90 71 89 95
School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) 1 1 1 1
Prevalence of HIV, total (% of population ages 15-49) 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Environment
Forest area (sq. km) (thousands) 7.9 7.7 7.8 7.7
Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area) 0.2 0.5 .. 13.1
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (% of internal resources) 4.5 6.8 4.9 ..
Urban population growth (annual %) 2.5 0.7 1.6 1.5
Energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita) 813 580 729 808
CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita) 1.68 0.98 1.58 1.98
Electric power consumption (kWh per capita) 552 1,450 1,943 2,309
Tourism:
Tourism is a major industry in Albania. Last year 3.8 million visitors visted the country .The country has diverse regions with the North known for its beautiful mountain scenes. The center of company has everything from archeologcial sites to beaches and to caves to explore. The countries capital Tirana is the cultural capital with festivals and events taking place year round
albania transportation:
Bus. Bus and furgon (shared minibus) are the main forms of public transport in Albania. Fares are low, and you either pay the conductor on board or when you hop off, which can be anywhere along the route. Municipal buses operate in Tirana, Durrës, Shkodra, Berat, Korça and Vlora, and trips usually cost 40 lekë.
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