THE WORLD FACTBOOK — Reference Edition 2026

Background: After declaring independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, Albania experienced a period of political upheaval that led to a short-lived monarchy, which ended in 1939 when Italy conquered the country. Germany then occupied Albania in 1943, and communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960) and then with China (until 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. Government-endorsed pyramid schemes in 1997 led to economic collapse and civil disorder, which only ended when UN peacekeeping troops intervened. In 1999, some 450,000 ethnic Albanians fled from Kosovo to Albania to escape the war with the Serbs. Albania joined NATO in 2009 and became an official candidate for EU membership in 2014.

Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 28,748 sq km
land: 27,398 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries: total: 691 km
border countries: Greece 212 km; Kosovo 112 km; North Macedonia 181 km; Montenegro 186 km
Coastline: 362 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate: mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Elevation: highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 708 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land
Land use: agricultural land: 38.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 21.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 3.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 13.4% (2023 est.)
forest: 34.3% (2023 est.)
other: 27.5% (2023 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,907 sq km (2022)
Major lakes (area sq km): fresh water lake(s): Lake Scutari (shared with Montenegro) - 400 sq kmnote - largest lake in the Balkans
Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Population distribution: a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country
Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought
Geography - note: strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

Population: total: 2,551,837 (2025 est.)
male: 1,229,151
female: 1,322,686
Nationality: noun: Albanian(s)
adjective: Albanian
Ethnic groups: Albanian 82.6%, Greek 0.9%, other 1% (including Vlach, Romani, Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian), unspecified 15.5% (2011 est.)
Languages: Languages: Albanian 98.8% (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek 0.5%, other 0.6% (including Macedonian, Romani, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)
major-language sample(s): Libri i fakteve boterore, burimi i pazevendesueshem per informacione elementare (Albanian)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
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% (2011 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (male 292,296/female 267,052)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,023,515/female 1,055,388)
65 years and over: 15.1% (2024 est.) (male 215,252/female 253,597)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 49 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 24.1 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 24.9 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 4 (2025 est.)
Median age: total: 37.9 years (2025 est.)
male: 34.8 years
female: 37.8 years
Population growth rate: -1.06% (2025 est.)
Birth rate: 8.71 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate: -11.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution: a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country
Urbanization: urban population: 64.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 520,000 TIRANA (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 26.6 years (2020 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 7 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 10.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.9 years (2024 est.)
male: 77.3 years
female: 82.8 years
Total fertility rate: 1.09 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.52 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: urban: 95.7% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 94.1% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 95.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 4.3% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 5.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 4.9% of population (2022 est.)
Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 7.3% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 9.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density: 1.88 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Hospital bed density: 2.9 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 21.7% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita: total: 4.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 1.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 1.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use: total: 21.4% (2025 est.)
male: 37% (2025 est.)
female: 6.2% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.5% (2017 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49): 65.7% (2018 est.)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 1.4% (2018)
women married by age 18: 11.8% (2018)
men married by age 18: 1.2% (2018)
Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP): 3.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 10.9% national budget (2023 est.)
Literacy: total population: 97.7% (2023 est.)
male: 98.2% (2023 est.)
female: 97.2% (2023 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 15 years (2023 est.)
male: 14 years (2023 est.)
female: 15 years (2023 est.)

Environmental issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; air pollution from industrial and power plants; loss of biodiversity
International environmental agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate: mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Land use: agricultural land: 38.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 21.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 3.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 13.4% (2023 est.)
forest: 34.3% (2023 est.)
other: 27.5% (2023 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 64.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions: 3.392 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 566,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 2.734 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 93,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 16.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.087 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 20.5% (2022 est.)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 221 million cubic meters (2022)
industrial: 11 million cubic meters (2022)
agricultural: 565 million cubic meters (2022)
Total renewable water resources: 30.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Albania
conventional short form: Albania
local long form: Republika e Shqiperise
local short form: Shqiperia
former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
etymology: name may be derived from the pre-Celtic word alb, meaning "hill," or from the Indo-European root word albh, meaning "white;" the local name "Shqiperia" is derived from the Albanian word shqiponje ("eagle") and is popularly interpreted to mean "Land of the Eagles"
Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital: name: Tirana (Tirane)
geographic coordinates: 41 19 N, 19 49 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
etymology: the name "Tirana" first appears in a 1418 Venetian document; the origin of the name is unclear
Administrative divisions: 12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane (Tirana), Vlore
Legal system: civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" is still present
Constitution: history: several previous; latest approved by the Assembly 21 October 1998, adopted by referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998
amendment process: proposed by at least one-fifth of the Assembly membership; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; referendum required only if approved by two-thirds of the Assembly; amendments approved by referendum effective upon declaration by the president of the republic
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no
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 Bajram BEGAJ (since 24 July 2022)
head of government: Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013)
cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly
election/appointment process: 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; prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly
most recent election date: held in 4 rounds on 16, 23, and 30 May and 4 June 2022
election results: 2022: Bajram BEGAJ elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 78-4, opposition parties boycotted2017: Ilir META elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 87-2
expected date of next election: 2027
Legislative branch: legislature name: Albanian Parliament
legislative structure: unicameral
chamber name: Parliament (Kuvendi)
number of seats: 140 (all directly elected)
electoral system: proportional representation
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 5/11/2025
parties elected and seats per party: Socialist Party of Albania (PS) (83); Democratic Party - Alliance for a Greater Albania (PD-ASHM) (50); Other (7)
percentage of women in chamber: 35%
expected date of next election: May 2029
Judicial branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 19 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Judicial Council with the consent of the president to serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Court chairman is elected for a single 3-year term by the court members; appointments of Constitutional Court judges are rotated among the president, Parliament, and Supreme Court from a list of pre-qualified candidates (each institution selects 3 judges), to serve single 9-year terms; candidates are pre-qualified by a randomly selected body of experienced judges and prosecutors; Constitutional Court chairman is elected by the court members for a single, renewable 3-year term
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized courts: Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, Appeals Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (responsible for corruption, organized crime, and crimes of high officials)
Political parties: Alliance for Change (electoral coalition led by PD)Democratic Party or PD Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU (part of the Alliance for Change)Social Democratic Party or PSDFreedom Party of Albania or PL (formerly the Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI)Socialist Party or PS
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ervin BUSHATI (since 15 September 2023)
chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942
FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342
email address and website: embassy.washington@mfa.gov.alhttp://www.ambasadat.gov.al/usa/en
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Nancy VANHORN (since August 2024)
embassy: Rruga Stavro Vinjau, No. 14, Tirana
mailing address: 9510 Tirana Place, Washington DC 20521-9510
telephone: [355] 4 2247-285
FAX: [355] 4 2232-222
email address and website: ACSTirana@state.govhttps://al.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation: BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Independence: 28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1912), also known as Flag Day
Flag: description: red with a black two-headed eagle in the centermeaning: Albanians traditionally see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as "Shqiptare," which translates as "sons of the eagle"history: the design is said to originate with 15th-century Albanian hero Georgi Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Ottoman Turks
National symbol(s): black double-headed eagle
National color(s): red, black
National coat of arms: adopted in 1998 and features the national symbol, the double-headed black eagle, in the national colors of red and black; red represents the courage and strength of the Albanian people, and the golden border represents the country’s wealth; the helmet above the eagle is modeled on the helmet of Skanderbeg, a 15th-century Albanian military hero who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire; the goat on top of the helmet represents defiance and resistance
National anthem(s): title: "Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)
lyrics/music: Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU
history: adopted 1912; only the first two stanzas of the original poem are used, with the second stanza as a chorus
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 4 (2 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Butrint (c); Historic Berat and Gjirokastër (c); Primeval Beech Forests (n); Lake Ohrid Region (m)

Economic overview: upper-middle-income Balkan economy; EU accession candidate; growth bolstered by tourism, agriculture, mining, construction, and private consumption; fiscal consolidation through revenue collection and tax compliance enhancements to address public debt; challenges include weak governance, corruption, and high emigration rates
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $51.36 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $49.403 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $47.532 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024: 4% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 3.9% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 4.8% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2024: $18,900 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $18,000 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $17,100 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $27.178 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 2.2% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 4.8% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 6.7% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 15.5% (2024 est.)
industry: 22.4% (2024 est.)
services: 48.9% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 70.2% (2023 est.)
government consumption: 12% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 24% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories: -1.1% (2023 est.)
exports of goods and services: 38.7% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services: -43.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural products: milk, maize, tomatoes, watermelons, potatoes, wheat, grapes, onions, cucumbers/gherkins, olives (2023)
Industries: food; footwear, apparel and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Industrial production growth rate: -0.2% (2024 est.)
Labor force: 1.37 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024: 10.3% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 10.2% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 10.2% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total: 25.1% (2024 est.)
male: 23.9% (2024 est.)
female: 26.9% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line: 22% (2020 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020: 29.4 (2020 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.4% (2020 est.)
highest 10%: 22.8% (2020 est.)
Remittances: Remittances 2024: 8.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 8.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 9.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Budget: revenues: $6.636 billion (2023 est.)
expenditures: $6.966 billion (2023 est.)
Public debt: Public debt 2021: 81.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 17.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Current account balance: Current account balance 2024: -$646.107 million (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$281.7 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$1.117 billion (2022 est.)
Exports: Exports 2024: $9.848 billion (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $9.099 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $7.057 billion (2022 est.)
Exports - partners: Italy 41%, Greece 10%, Germany 5%, Spain 5%, Serbia 4% (2023)
Exports - commodities: garments, footwear, electricity, crude petroleum, iron alloys (2023)
Imports: Imports 2024: $11.697 billion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $10.374 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $9.016 billion (2022 est.)
Imports - partners: Italy 22%, China 11%, Turkey 9%, Germany 7%, Greece 6% (2023)
Imports - commodities: cars, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine, iron bars (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $6.516 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $6.455 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $5.266 billion (2022 est.)
Debt - external: Debt - external 2023: $5.363 billion (2023 est.)
Exchange rates: Currency: leke (ALL) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 93.123 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 100.645 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 113.042 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 103.52 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 108.65 (2020 est.)

Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 2.857 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 7.49 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 2.2 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 1.922 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.238 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources: solar: 3.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 96.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal: production: 473,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 255,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 345,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 180,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 522 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 14,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 21,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 150 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas: production: 49.977 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption: 49.977 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 5.692 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 27.407 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 165,000 (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2024 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 2.49 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 89 (2024 est.)
Broadcast media: over 65 TV stations, including several that broadcast nationally and are sometimes available to neighboring countries; many viewers have access to Italian and Greek TV via terrestrial reception; TV stations have begun a government-mandated conversion from analog to digital broadcast; cable TV service is available; 2 public radio networks and roughly 78 private radio stations; several international broadcasters are available (2024)
Internet country code: .al
Internet users: percent of population: 83% (2023 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 632,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (2023 est.)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: ZA
Airports: 3 (2025)
Heliports: 9 (2025)
Railways: total: 424 km (2017)
Merchant marine: total: 69 (2023)
by type: general cargo 46, oil tanker 1, other 22
Ports: total ports: 3 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 0
small: 1
very small: 2
ports with oil terminals: 0
key ports: Durres, Shengjin, Vlores

Military and security forces: Republic of Albania Armed Forces (Forcat e Armatosura të Republikës së Shqipërisë (FARSH); aka Albanian Armed Forces (AAF)): Land Forces, Naval Force (includes Coast Guard), Air ForcesMinistry of Interior: Guard of the Republic, State Police (includes the Border and Migration Police) (2025)
Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2025: 2% of GDP (2025 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024: 1.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 7,500 active-duty military personnel (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the military is in the process of modernizing by replacing its inventory of Soviet-era weapons with NATO standard armaments; in recent years, acquisitions have included equipment from France, Israel, Italy, Turkey and the US (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 18-30 for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished 2010 (2025)
Military deployments: 250 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2025)
Military - note: the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) are responsible for defending the country’s independence, sovereignty, and territory, assisting with internal security, providing disaster and humanitarian relief, and participating in international peacekeeping missions; the AAF is a small, lightly armed force that has been undergoing a modernization effort to improve its ability to fulfill NATO missions; the AAF has contributed small numbers of forces to several NATO missions since Albania joined NATO in 2009, including peacekeeping/stability missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Iraq, and multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria and Latvia; it has also contributed to EU and UN missions (2025)

Terrorist group(s): Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees: 9,381 (2024 est.)
stateless persons: 2,203 (2024 est.)

Albania