Communism had a profound impact on the Albanian economy, which continued for decades after the collapse of the socialist government in 1991. Albania transitioned to a capitalist market economy, but the process was arduous and slow. In the late 1990s, the country experienced a severe economic crisis, exacerbated by political instability and corruption. Today, the Albanian economy is still recovering from the legacy of communism, and is characterized by high unemployment and a large informal sector. The severe earthquake in November 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic have further weighed on an already economically weakened country. The war in Ukraine continues to significantly weaken growth, and rising prices will affect the food security of Albanian families. Under the longstanding dictatorship of Enver Hoxha, the culturally and traditionally existing patriarchal gender relations were further cemented. Low income combined with uneven economic growth in the regions has exacerbated inequalities. There are also large disparities between ethnic groups, with access to education, infrastructure and public services being considerably more difficult for Roma and Egyptian minorities.
However, there are also positive developments. Economically, Albania benefited from economic reforms that improved infrastructure and attracted increased foreign investment. Politically, Albania officially launched its EU accession talks for EU membership in 2022 and is working towards improving intra-regional cooperation in the Western Balkans.
There have been also changes for the better regarding women's rights: Albania has been able to improve the legal and institutional framework to combat gender-based violence. The amendments to the law on domestic violence - a stronger alignment of the National Gender Equality Strategy (2021-2030) with international standards - and improvements to the legal framework for free legal aid are expected to enable a more effective response to violence against women. These adjustments also introduced an important definitional change into the law: The understanding of gender-based violence has been broadened by no longer referring to "domestic violence" in the law, but instead using the term "violence against women and girls". This definition is much more comprehensive and reflects the reality and different dimensions of gender-based violence.
Nevertheless, despite the continued efforts and progress made, the support offered to women affected by violence remains limited. Civil society organisations that have the expertise and capacity to provide specialised services are financially not supported by the state. Lack of trust in the system, lack of information on protection mechanisms, insufficient access to free legal aid and a social taboo around gender-based violence often discourage women from filing criminal complaints.
Area: 28,748 km2
Capital: Tirana / 901,000 inhabitants
Population: 3.1 million
Population growth: 0.19% per year
Urban population: 64 %
Infant mortality: 10.5 per 1000 live births
Maternal mortality: 8 per 100,000 births
Births per woman: 1.5 births per woman
Life expectancy: 79 years
Youth unemployment (up to 24): 27.8 %
