TIRANA, Aug. 18 /ATA/ – The Albanian lek’s appreciation against the U.S. dollar eased in the second quarter of 2026, as the dollar strengthened in international markets, the Bank of Albania said in a recent analysis of developments in the foreign exchange market.
The average USD/lek exchange rate stood at 82.0 lek per dollar in the second quarter, compared with 82.3 lek in the first quarter, the central bank said. Year-on-year, the lek’s appreciation against the dollar slowed to 3.3% in June, from a peak of around 14% in the first two months of the year.
During the first three weeks of July, the USD/lek exchange rate fluctuated around an average of 82.1 leks, while annual appreciation of Albania’s national currency slowed further to 1.8%.
The Bank of Albania said the foreign exchange market continued to operate under normal trading conditions, with limited fluctuations in the exchange rate. However, the exchange-rate bias indicator, which measures the direction of daily currency movements, increased during 2026 after a period of relative calm in the second half of last year.
The central bank said the indicator pointed to stronger pressures on the exchange rate and could signal a shift in the expectations of foreign exchange market participants.
Despite these developments, the foreign exchange market continues to operate within normal parameters, while exchange-rate movements remain an important indicator of economic and financial developments in Albania.
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