TIRANA, Sept. 4 /ATA/ – Construction costs in Albania rose 1.1% in the second quarter of 2026 from a year earlier, driven mainly by higher labour costs, the National Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) said on Friday.
Wages in the construction sector increased 4.3% year-on-year, making them the biggest contributor to the rise in construction costs.
Other costs increased 3%, transport costs rose 1.5% and machinery costs were up 1.2%, INSTAT said.
By contrast, material costs fell 0.6%. Within this category, construction materials declined 0.9%, plumbing and ventilation materials fell 0.7%, while electrical and communication materials decreased 0.1%.
Compared with the first quarter of 2026, construction costs increased 0.3% in the second quarter, with wages rising 1.1%.
INSTAT noted that the 1.1% increase in construction costs did not necessarily translate into an equivalent rise in apartment prices, which are also affected by land costs, financing, taxes, developers’ profit margins and market supply and demand.
The data show that despite lower material costs, rising wages remain one of the main pressures on the cost of building housing.
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