Albania’s GDP expanded by 3.71% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, slowing from 4.04% in the previous quarter. Growth was mainly supported by public administration, education, and health services, which surged by 13.9%. Additional positive contributions came from real estate activities (9%), professional and administrative services (7.3%), construction (3.3%), trade, transportation, accommodation and food services (1.6%), financial and insurance activities (5%), and information and communication (2.5%).
These gains were partly offset by declines in several sectors: mining, manufacturing, electricity and water supply (-2.2%), recreation and entertainment (-3.5%), and agriculture, forestry and fishing (-0.5%).
From the expenditure perspective, both household consumption and investment increased by 3.9%. External demand also supported growth, with exports rising 9.4%, outpacing a 7.4% increase in imports. In contrast, government consumption fell by 1.4%.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the economy grew by 0.8%, moderating from a 1.0% expansion in the previous quarter.
