Nearly 22,000 foreigners were issued residence permits by Albanian authorities last year, an increase of 2.2 percent compared to 2023.
Data published by INSTAT show that the majority of foreigners without Albanian passports come from Kosovo, with 4,592 in total, followed by Italians with 3,763 residence permits.
62 percent of them are men, while 38 percent are women. The most represented age group is 30 to 39 years old, which accounts for a quarter of the total, while as for the reasons for staying in Albania, almost 11 thousand of them declare employment, while others are for family reunification and studies.
From 2023 to 2024, the data shows a decrease of over 5 percent in foreigners originating from one of the European countries, an increase of 23 percent in foreigners originating from Africa and 20 percent in those from Asia.
Meanwhile, India and the Philippines were added to the list of the top five countries of origin of foreigners living and working in Albania in 2024, following Kosovo, Italy and Turkey. The data shows the tendency of Albanian businesses to find workers abroad. The Indian market is mainly targeted by the construction sector, while service businesses are oriented towards the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.
Editorial
