Minister Ibrahimaj: The Albanian economy grew by 3.71% in 3M1 2026, above the regional and EU average
The Minister of Economy and Innovation, Delina Ibrahimaj, held a press conference today, where she presented the performance of the Albanian economy and the main macroeconomic indicators for the first quarter of 2026.
During her speech, the minister emphasized that the Albanian economy continues to maintain stable growth rates, with a growth of 3.71%, above the average of the Western Balkan countries (3.6%) and significantly above the average of the European Union (1%).
"The Albanian economy continues to demonstrate stability and resilience. The indicators of the first quarter confirm that growth is supported by various sectors of the economy and is accompanied by macroeconomic stability," said Minister Ibrahimaj.
The Minister noted that the main contribution to economic growth was made by public administration, education, healthcare, professional activities, construction and real estate.
Construction increased by 3.33%, financial and insurance activities by 5%, and real estate activities by 8.9%.
On the other hand, industry contracted by 2.17%, mainly influenced by the extractive industry and textiles, while the food industry recorded an increase of 10.6% and the energy sector grew by 8.34%.
The Minister noted that household consumption, which accounts for about 73% of the economy in terms of expenditure, increased by 3.94%, while investments also continued to grow at the same pace.
"The increase in wages, pensions and remittances has supported the purchasing power of Albanian families and boosted consumption, contributing to economic expansion," Ibrahimaj said.
Macroeconomic stability indicators were also presented at the conference.
Public debt fell to 48.8% of GDP, from 54.1% a year earlier.
The Minister stated that Foreign Direct Investments reached around 400 million euros, with an increase of 11.9%, while their stock rose to 17.4 billion euros.
Also, foreign exchange reserves reached 7.6 billion euros, an increase of 12.5%.
Regarding the labor market, Minister Ibrahimaj emphasized that unemployment dropped to 8.4%, while the average salary reached around 90 thousand lek, with an increase of 9.6% compared to the same period last year.
The minimum wage remains 50 thousand lek.
Business activity also showed positive performance.
Minister Ibrahimaj stated that during the first five months of the year, 9,591 new businesses were registered, while business turnover increased by 9.3%, or 142.8 billion lek more than in the same period in 2025.
In the field of foreign trade, the Minister informed that exports of goods and services continued to increase.
"Total exports increased by 9.36%, while service exports increased by 8%.
"Travel exports reached 1 billion euros, or 15% more than a year ago, while goods exports increased by 4.5%," Ibrahimaj declared.
Minister Ibrahimaj stated that all indicators confirm an Albanian economy with sound foundations, which continues to attract investments, create jobs and maintain macroeconomic stability, strengthening the country's prospects for sustainable development.
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