Albanian emigration has become a structural phenomenon with deep and long-term impacts on the country’s demographic, economic, and social development.
Around 2.2 million Albanians live outside the territory of Albania, according to data published by INSTAT in “Diaspora in Figures.” The overwhelming majority of emigrants belong to the 15–64 age group, reflecting the departure of the country’s main productive and human workforce.
This reality makes emigration not only a social issue but also a direct development challenge, as it affects economic growth potential, the labor market, and the sustainability of social schemes.
A significant element highlighted by INSTAT is the high presence of children under the age of 15 in the diaspora, indicating that emigration is no longer limited to individual labor migration, but increasingly involves family relocation and long-term settlement abroad.
The main destinations of the Albanian diaspora remain European Union countries, with Italy, Greece, and Germany holding a particularly prominent role. However, the report also highlights a widening geographic distribution to other European countries and beyond the continent.
During the years 2021–2023, Italy and Greece were the countries where Albanians acquired citizenship most frequently. Germany, France, Sweden, and Belgium are among other countries that have also recorded an increase in the acquisition of citizenship by Albanians.
In 2024, Italy, Greece, and Germany were the countries with the highest concentration of Albanians holding residence permits for various reasons. Of all residence permits issued in the 27 EU countries, 47.6% were for family reunification, followed by employment-related permits at 29.1%, other reasons at 22.4%, and study purposes at around 1%.
Data from the American Community Survey for 2023 show that first-generation Albanians in the United States numbered 94,616 in 2023, including those who emigrated after the 1990s, while the second generation numbered 111,904. In total, 206,520 Albanians live in the United States.
Overall, INSTAT data highlight a massive emigration of young people and families, which accelerates the aging of the resident population, shrinks the base of economic contributors, and creates new pressures on Albania’s long-term development.