Albanian municipalities face significant funding and functional gaps

Data from the Municipality Functionality Index (IFB), included in the Final Report for Administrative-Territorial Reform 2.0, reveals significant disparities in the ability of Albanian local government units to fund and execute legal responsibilities. Nationally, 42 out of 61 municipalities fail to finance even half of their measurable functions.

Kukës County recorded the lowest average functional coverage in the country at 39.2%. Within this region, the municipalities of Kukës and Tropoja showed some of the weakest financial and administrative capacities, scoring 37.3 and 36.5 points out of 100, respectively. Other low-performing regions include Vlorë and Gjirokastër, both at 39.9%.

In contrast, Lezhë County reported the highest functional coverage at 56.9%, followed by Durrës at 53.9%. At the individual municipal level, Kamza ranked first with a perfect score of 100, followed by Tirana at 99.4, Himara at 90.9, and Durrës at 87.2. The data indicates that population size and economic weight do not automatically guarantee higher functionality.