The report, which measures progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the U.N. 2030 Agenda, said Albania had made significant gains across a range of social, economic and environmental indicators.

Education was among the country’s strongest areas, with a net primary school enrolment rate of 99.5%, while 94.4% of children aged 4-6 participate in organised pre-primary education. Youth literacy among those aged 15-24 stands at 99.1%.

Life expectancy at birth has reached 80 years, while 100% of births are attended by skilled health personnel.

Albania has universal access to electricity, while renewable energy accounts for 43.7% of total final energy consumption. About 95.1% of the population has access to basic drinking-water services and 99.3% to basic sanitation. All of the rural population is reported to have access to all-season roads.

Internet use stands at 85.9% of the population, while Albania scores 0.8 on the E-Government Online Services Index, where 1 represents the highest score.

The report also highlights biodiversity protection, with 49.4% of land areas important for biodiversity protected, compared with 97.3% of important freshwater areas and an average 68.7% of important marine biodiversity areas.

On decent work and economic growth, Albania scores 81.7 on the adjusted GDP growth index, while women hold 34.3% of parliamentary seats.

The Sustainable Development Report 2026 provides a global assessment of progress in 169 countries towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals under the 2030 Agenda.

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The increase was well above the European Union average of 2.3%.

Albania recorded the fastest growth in the region, followed by Montenegro at 16.1% and North Macedonia at 15.8%. Serbia posted a 3.1% increase, while Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded a 0.2% decline.

Across Europe, Slovakia recorded the strongest growth at 37%, followed by Estonia at 8.3%, Poland at 7.8%, Slovenia at 7.4%, Lithuania at 6.8% and Italy at 5.7%.

Flight activity declined in several markets, led by Iceland with a 5.9% drop, followed by Austria at 4.7%, Cyprus at 3%, Germany at 2.4% and the Netherlands at 2%.

The increase in Albania came during the peak summer tourism season, when air travel typically rises with higher tourist and passenger flows.

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Albania was involved in 121 cases, behind only Switzerland and the United Kingdom among non-EU countries, the Media and Information Agency (MIA) said on Thursday, citing the report.

Albania also ranked first among Western Balkan countries, ahead of Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The report showed that Albania’s liaison prosecutor contributed to 70 new cases, 51 coordination meetings, 27 joint investigation teams (JITs) and 27 operational activities during 2025.

The figures “demonstrate Albania’s increasingly active cooperation with European partners in the fight against cross-border crime,” MIA said.

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Albania has climbed eight spots to rank 75th globally, marking the equal-biggest jump in Europe and the third-largest worldwide. Returning to the top 80, the country achieved an impressive 71.1% annual ecosystem growth—the fourth highest in Europe. This highlights Albania’s rapid innovation dynamics and the clear impact of recent reforms in entrepreneurship.

Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation Delina Ibrahimaj stated that present-day Albania is a completely different story than it was a year ago.

“Ranking as the 4th fastest-growing startup ecosystem in Europe proves our strategy is working. By combining strategic public investment, bold reforms, and deep trust in our entrepreneurs, we are building a thriving innovation economy. We are creating an Albania where top talent finds real opportunity, international capital flows freely, and innovation accelerates economic growth”, said Minister Ibrahimaj.

This milestone follows key measures from the last two years, such as launching Startup Albania and consolidating innovation programs under the Ministry of Economy and Innovation.

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Rama was responding to comments by the main Democratic Party (DP) leader Sali Berisha, who had said that integrity in public procurement in Albania had declined.

“How did it possibly register a decline when Albania was included for the first time in the European procurement integrity measurement portal for European Union states, and ranked better than many of them?” Rama said.

He added that such claims “cannot be justified by either those in power or those in opposition, because nonsense has its limits only in itself.”

Rama said Albania is now internationally assessed more positively than ever before in procurement standards, and that further improvements are under way.

He also said that artificial intelligence would soon be integrated into the public procurement system, arguing that this would significantly improve both speed and integrity, placing Albania “at the highest European level” in the sector during the current term in office.

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The country rose six places compared with 2024, reflecting steady progress in political, economic and institutional consolidation.

Since the early 1990s, Albania has undertaken deep reforms transforming society and the state. The opening of EU accession negotiations in March 2020 marked a key milestone in the country’s European agenda, the report said.

Albania also stands out as an example of religious tolerance and coexistence, a rare regional value that contributes to social and political stability.

Economic indicators show notable improvement: GDP growth rose from 2.1% in 2019 to 3.9% in 2024, while public debt fell from 74.1% of GDP in 2021 to 54.7% in 2024, indicating stronger fiscal management and positive development prospects.

In law enforcement and international cooperation, Albania has strengthened partnerships, including with Eurojust, where it is one of 11 non-EU countries with a liaison prosecutor.

Democratic processes have also improved, with the May 2023 local elections assessed as well-managed and the May 2025 parliamentary elections deemed competitive and professionally administered.

The report also noted Albania’s alignment with EU foreign and security policy, including positions and sanctions against Russia, highlighting its role as a reliable and responsible partner. As the largest recipient of EU financial assistance in the region, Albania is using support to strengthen institutions, the economy and rule of law.

While presenting a clear European vision and significant development potential, the index highlighted ongoing economic and democratic challenges. Political polarisation poses the greatest risk, followed by economic crises, cybersecurity threats and climate change.

The Normandy Index, first presented at the Global Peace Forum in Normandy in 2019, measures global threats to peace and democracy, focusing on political stability, security, democratic governance and internal and external risks.

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The Media and Information Agency (MIA) said on Wednesday that in 2013, Albanian citizens could travel without visas to 88 countries. By 2025, that number had increased by 33, to 121 destinations.

“This progress reflects greater freedom of movement for citizens, strengthened diplomatic relations, simplified travel procedures, and fewer administrative barriers,” MIA said.

The Henley Passport Index, based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), ranks 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. Updated monthly, the index is widely regarded as a standard reference for evaluating global passport mobility.

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According to MIA, Albania recorded solid results in the adoption of artificial intelligence in public services, with a score of 68.95, as well as in governance, at 51.67, and infrastructure development, at 48.44.

The country was also cited among the more active states in digitalisation efforts, including for appointing the world’s first minister dedicated to artificial intelligence.

Albania was further recognized for adopting its first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy in August, steps that authorities said strengthen the country’s institutional and strategic framework in the field.

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Competing under the Albanian flag, Colturi improved on last year’s 16th-place finish with a strong combined time after two runs on the Rettenbach Glacier course.

“I was very emotional – I’m really happy with what I did today,” Colturi said after the race. “The first run went better than the second, but there’s a lot of work ahead and time to improve. Opening the season in Sölden always brings big emotions – this was the best possible start.”

She added that racing for Albania carries special pride.

“It’s a big psychological challenge, but I’m grateful for the support of so many Albanian fans here. I’m proud to represent the Albanian team and to see so many red-and-black flags in Austria.”

Austria’s Julia Scheib claimed her first-ever World Cup victory, winning with a total time of 2:16.51 — the first Austrian to triumph in the discipline since 2016. American Paula Moltzan finished second (2:17.09), followed by Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami (2:17.62).

The next women’s World Cup event will take place in two weeks, featuring slalom races in Levi, Finland, north of the Arctic Circle.

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Now in its 18th edition, the index tracks innovation performance worldwide through investment patterns, technology progress and socio-economic impact. Albania scored 29.6 points, showing one of the region’s biggest improvements compared with 2024.

WIPO said Albania stands alongside economies such as Morocco, Vietnam and Türkiye that have made notable gains in digital development and economic modernization.

The report highlights Albania’s stronger institutional and infrastructure performance, particularly in information technology and digital services.

However, it notes persistent weaknesses in human capital and research, limited business-university cooperation and scarce funding for start-ups. While the creative sector shows promise, the country has yet to turn it into sustained economic growth.

Within the Western Balkans, Albania ranks ahead of only Bosnia and Herzegovina (92nd), while Serbia leads the region at 54th.

Switzerland, Sweden and the United States top the global list./Scantv/

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