[REVISION HISTORY]

Albania food price inflation and cost of living

Updated 7 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-24 11:41 UTC → 2026-08-25 17:23 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Eurostat data for 2025 show Albania as the EU’s third-most expensive market for dairy, with milk and egg prices at 135.6% of the EU average. Household-level figures reveal that Albanian families allocated a record 20.4% of the country’s nominal GDP to food purchases in 2025, the highest share in Europe. By mid-2026, inflationary pressures on essential goods intensified. In June 2026, the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) reported that consumer prices for items like lemons (+23.5%), coffee (+14.6%), liquid gas (+12.4%), and wine (+11.2%) significantly outpaced the 3.2% overall inflation rate. Rising costs extended to meat and dairy, with meat prices increasing by approximately 30% and dairy products rising by 30% to 35% due to shortages and transport costs. In July 2026, inflation reached 3.4%, surpassing the European Union average of 3%. Local vendors have attributed meat shortages to increased competition from Bulgarian imports, alongside rising transport and labeling costs. In response to rising costs, the Albanian Competition Authority launched a monitoring initiative in August 2026, targeting major supermarkets to assess market competition. Recent reports indicate that vegetable prices have also been impacted by rising oil costs and seasonal flooding. Broader food security concerns persist. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), approximately 31.8% of Albanians faced moderate or severe food insecurity during the 2023–2025 period, a rate roughly 4.3 times higher than the European average. Within Albania, 8.3% of the population is classified as facing severe food insecurity. While child stunting rates improved, reaching 7.4% in 2024, other health indicators declined: adult obesity rose to 24.1% in 2024 and anemia among women increased to 24.7% in 2023. Additionally, the cost of a healthy daily diet in Albania reached $5.16 in purchasing power parity by ~~2025.~~ 2025, which is 30% above the European average.

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