Albania
Albania ranks high and low in ways you wouldn't predict. A top performer in university enrollment (#20), it falls behind in fertility rate. Can you guess what else is surprising?
Albania is a country in Europe with a population of 2.55M and an area of 28,748 km². Life expectancy is 79.6 years.
At a Glance
The numbers that define this country
University Enrollment Rate
82.0%Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Life Expectancy
79.6 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Life Expectancy
79.6 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Human Development Index
0.81The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
26.7KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Internet Users (%)
83.0%The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Where They Stand Out
Global rankings worth knowing
🌱Electricity Access (%)
100.0%The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
🚀University Enrollment Rate
82.0%Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
💰FDI Inflows (% GDP)
6.3%Foreign investment flowing into the country as a percentage of GDP.
🌍Lowest Elevation
0Lowest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
🤝Women in Parliament (%)
35.7%The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
Did You Know?
Facts that catch players off guard
Ranks #4 globally in electricity access (%)
Electricity Access (%): 100.0%
The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
World Bank 2023Only ranks #225 in fertility rate
Fertility Rate: 1.09
The average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime based on current birth rates.
World Bank 2023Only ranks #133 in foreign patents
Foreign Patents: 1.00
How many patent applications are filed by non-residents each year.
World Bank 2023Ranks #20 globally in university enrollment rate
University Enrollment Rate: 82.0%
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
World Bank 2023Has one of the highest rates of suicide rate
Suicide Rate: 2.75
The number of suicide deaths per 100,000 people each year.
World Bank 2023Surprised? See how you stack up.
Play NowHow Albania Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
World Bank 2023Life Expectancy
Above avgHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
World Bank 2023Human Development Index
Above avgThe Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Our World in Data 2023Internet Users
Above avgThe percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Test Your IntuitionAbout Albania
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
- 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
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land
- Natural Hazards
- destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought
- Size Comparison
- slightly smaller than Maryland
- 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.)
- 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.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Albanian 82.6%, Greek 0.9%, other 1% (including Vlach, Romani, Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian), unspecified 15.5% (2011 est.)
- Major Cities
- 520,000 TIRANA (capital) (2023)
- Government Type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Tirana (Tirane)
- Capital Coordinates
- 41 19 N, 19 49 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Albania
- Name Origin
- 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"
- Independence
- 28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
- National Symbols
- black double-headed eagle
- National Anthem
- "Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 4 (2 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)
- 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
- Industries
- food; footwear, apparel and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
- Agricultural Products
- milk, maize, tomatoes, watermelons, potatoes, wheat, grapes, onions, cucumbers/gherkins, olives (2023)
- Export Partners
- Italy 41%, Greece 10%, Germany 5%, Spain 5%, Serbia 4% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- garments, footwear, electricity, crude petroleum, iron alloys (2023)
- Import Partners
- Italy 22%, China 11%, Turkey 9%, Germany 7%, Greece 6% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- cars, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine, iron bars (2023)
- Military 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 Forces Ministry of Interior: Guard of the Republic, State Police (includes the Border and Migration Police) (2025)
- Military Service
- 18-30 for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished 2010 (2025)
- Energy Mix
- solar: 3.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 96.7% of total installed capacity (2023 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)
Deep Dive
67 of 85 metricsEvery stat we track, organized by category
Related Countries
Neighboring Countries
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Greece
SerbiaCountries with Similar GDP
China
Maldives
Dominican Republic
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BelarusShare a Fact
Share something surprising about Albania!
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Frequently Asked Questions about Albania
Albania has a population of 2.55M, ranking #143 globally by population.
Albania is located in Europe. It has an area of 28,748 km².
Life expectancy in Albania is 79.6 years, ranking #53 globally.
Albania's GDP per capita (PPP) is 26.7K, ranking #84 globally.
Albania ranks particularly high in University Enrollment Rate (#20), Life Expectancy (#53), Life Expectancy (#60).
Albania has an HDI of 0.810, ranking #71 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
Albania has a population density of 88.1 people per km², ranking #113 globally.
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