TIRANA, August 18 – Albania’s economy grew by 3.71% in the first quarter of 2026. Finance Minister Petrit Malaj said the figure places Albania among the fastest-growing economies in the region. He also said the country is narrowing the gap with European economies.
According to Malaj, Albania and Kosova recorded the region’s fastest growth. Albania’s rate was also significantly above the European Union average of 0.7% for the same period. The minister attributed the performance to continued economic policies that support investment, business activity, employment and consumption.
Meanwhile, Malaj expressed optimism about the coming quarters. He expects growth to accelerate, supported by tourism, investment and priority sectors. Albania recorded stronger growth than Serbia at 3.20%, North Macedonia at 3.1%, Montenegro at 3.69% and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 1.9%.
The Western Balkans recorded average growth of 3.30% in the first quarter. By comparison, the European Union average stood at 0.7%. As a result, Albania’s growth rate was 0.41 percentage points above the regional average and 3.01 percentage points above the European Union average.
/a.p./
The post Economic growth reaches 3.71% in first quarter, Finance Minister Malaj says Albania exceeds European Union average appeared first on RTSH English.
