Malaj said the additional funding, approved through the government’s budget amendment, is aimed at strengthening national defence and accelerating the modernisation of the Armed Forces.

The revised budget also provides for the recruitment of 300 additional military personnel.

“With an additional 10.3 billion leks in funding and 300 new members of the Armed Forces, defence spending will reach 2.6% of GDP, supporting the modernisation of defence capabilities and enhancing national security,” Malaj said.

The increase reflects Albania’s continued efforts to meet NATO defence spending targets and strengthen its contribution to the alliance’s collective security framework.

/e.xh/j.p/u.sh/

Public administration, education, and health were the largest contributors to economic activity, adding +1.68 percentage points.

Other significant drivers included real estate +0.52 pp, professional and administrative services +0.47 pp and construction +0.32 pp).

Additional contributions came from trade, transport, accommodation, and food services +0.21 pp, financial and insurance services +0.09 pp) and information and communication +0.06 pp.

The primary negative contributions came from Industry, Electricity, and Water -0.25 percentage points, followed by Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing -0.06 percentage points, and Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, and Other Services -0.07 percentage points. /p.s./

INSTAT published today the report on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), announcing that the main sectors that led economic growth in the country were wage growth, property sales, and the services sector.

INSTAT report that, “The contribution by economic activities is presented as follows: “Public administration, Education and Health” by +1.65 percentage point, “Trade, Transport, Accommodation and Food Services” by +0.47 percentage point, “Real estate activity” by +0.37 percentage point, “Construction” by +0.30 percentage point, “Professional services and Administrative services” +0.27 percentage point, “Information and Communication” +0.11 percentage point, “Arts, entertainment and recreation services, other services professional services” by +0.08 percentage point and “Financial and insurance services” by +0.03 percentage point. The activities: “Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing” by -0.46 percentage point, and “Industry, Electricity and Water” contributed by -0.18 percentage point. “Net taxes on products” contributed positively by +0.87 percentage point.”

According to INSTAT, the final consumption of the population increased by 3.88%, reflecting improved purchasing power and domestic consumption. The final consumption of the government has marked a strong increase of 12.44%, reflecting public investments and the expansion of state spending.

Meanwhile, exports of goods and services for this period increased by 0.97%, while imports increased by 3.26%, which suggests a higher demand for foreign goods, but also an expanding economy.

The 3.5% GDP growth for the second quarter of 2025 is a positive indicator for the revival of economic activity, with a broad contribution from the services, construction and real estate sectors.

These data confirm the continuation of Albania’s stable economic growth, broad-based and supported by increased consumption and investment, but also highlight the need for diversification and modernization of the productive sectors. /e.xh/r.e/a.f/p.s./

According to Eurostat, the figure is ten times higher than the average contribution of agriculture in European Union member states and double that of regional peers, reflecting growing investment and transformation across the sector.

Demand for agricultural products continues to rise steadily, alongside export growth.

According to Albania’s Ministry of Agriculture, the country’s agricultural exports reached 5.92 billion lek in May 2025, recording a 9% year-on-year increase.

The government aims to boost agricultural exports to 1 billion euros annually by 2030.

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Addressing a final campaign rally in the central town of Librazhd, Rama underlined it took around a decade for the Socialist government to increase the country’s GDP by 2.5 times.

“The country’s GDP was estimated less than 10 billion euros when we took over, but it has risen to around 25 billion euros today and it is our ambition to grow it to 35 billion euros by 2030,” PM Rama said.

Rama said that the country’s GDP growth should be seen in the region’s context, with Albania recording the highest GDP increase rate compared to other Western Balkan countries during the past 10 years. According to him, Albania’s GDP has increased by 109.6%, up from the region’s average of around 64%.

The government head noted that the income per capita has trebled from 3300 euros in 2013 to a total of 10324 euros in 2025, while the government projects the income per capital to edge up to 15000 euros by 2030.

The Socialist leader also underlined that the country’s public debt was estimated 70% of the GDP in 2013 and the previous centre-right government had accumulated around 700 million euros in unpaid bills to the business community for finished public works and services, VAT and profit tax refunds.

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In a televised interview, Rama underlined that the goal is to increase the country’s GDP to over 35 billion euros by 2030.

The government head also noted that the Albania’s agriculture has also grown in recent years, with the agricultural exports now valued at over half a billion euros from only 150 million euros in 2013.

PM Rama, also leader of the ruling Socialist Party, dismissed the opposition claims over alleged decrease of agriculture, adding that the country’s trade deficit has also narrowed, with the export-import ratio being 1 to 9 in 2013 and 1 to 3 in 2024.

“Albania has a solid growth rate, leading international rating agencies to improve the country’s overall rating,” he noted.

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Rama gave a speech during which he provided the indicators of the Albanian economy despite claims from the opposition camp.

Regarding the Gross Domestic Product, Rama said that, “Albania in the year we took office produced less than 10 billion euros in total value. At the end of 2024, GDP was 25 billion euros. So, we have increased it 2 and a half times. And the indicators are provided by the International Monetary Fund”.

Regarding the projection of the Ministry of Finance, looking at the entire trend and other components, Rama said that, “In Albania 2030, GDP will reach 35 billion euros”.

“Albania has the highest GDP growth in the entire Western Balkans”, Rama emphasized.

Regarding income per capita, Rama stated that, “In 2013, it was 3330 euros. It was 10,300 euros in 2024, i.e. 3 times more. Albania’s projection for 2030 is 15,000 euros”.

Speaking about public debt, which was 70.4% in 2013, at the end of 2024 it fell to 54%.

Regarding the average salary in the public sector alone, Rama said that, “From 372 euros in 2013, we are at 1000 euros and the projection for 2030 is 1200 euros, the average”.

The average pension in 2013 was 111 euros; in 2024 it rose to 300 euros; while the projection for 2030 is the average pension 400 euros, while the minimum pension 200 euros. /j.p/p.s./

In a live session on the social media, the government head responded to a commenter, who wrote that Albania has remained equally poor.

“How can one possibly claim that the country has remained equally poor, when the GDP has risen to around 25 billion euros in 2024 from only 9.6 billion euros when we took office,” PM Rama said.

The Premier underlined that Albania now pays much higher wages as the national economy has ushered in a steady growth cycle.

“Today, Albania has the opportunity to pay much higher wages than yesterday. And they will continue to be higher because the economy is in a cycle of sustainable growth,” Rama noted.

Rama also underlined that the average wage in the country has reached a historic high of over 830 euros across both the public and private sectors and the purchase power has edged up significantly.

/j.p/u.sh/

INSTAT said in its latest report that tourism, construction sector, wage hike and employment mainly contributed to the GDP growth last year.

The sectors contributing to economic growth were: “Public administration, Education and Health” by +1.44 percentage point, “Trade, Transport, Accommodation and Food Services” by +0.81 percentage point, “Real estate activity” by +0.50 percentage point, “Construction” by +0.25 percentage point, “Arts, entertainment and recreation services, other services professional services” by + 0.19 percentage point, “Financial and insurance services” by +0.03 percentage point, “Professional services and Administrative services” +0.01 percentage point.

According to INSTAT, the activities: “Industry, Electricity and Water” contributed by -0.85 percentage point, “Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing” by -0.35 percentage point and “Information and Communication” -0.01 percentage point. “Net taxes on products” contributed positively by +1.61 percentage points.

Exports and services decreased by 1.73%, while imports of goods and services increased by 3.12 %.

INSTAT said that Albania’s GDP rose 3.63% in real terms in fourth quarter of 2024.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama made the statement while talking with followers through his “Eye to Eye” feature in the social media, answering a question regarding the SP’s electoral program for the May 11 elections.

“Albania’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), that is, everything that Albania produces did not increase two and a half times with talk and song, but it increased thanks to hard work. GDP was estimated at being less than 10 billion euros, while at present it’s almost 25 billion euros”, Rama emphasized.

PM Rama also said that, “The income per capita also has increased by almost 3 times. It was less than 4 thousand, while at present it is estimated at 10 thousand and more euros. It did increase thanks to hard work and governance”. /k.s//a.f//r.e/p.s./