Albania: Central government debt, total (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Albania's central government debt, total (current LCU) rose 0.3% on 2023 (from 1.25 trillion to 1.26 trillion).

Across the 15 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2023), the average change was +10.6% and a typical year strayed about 19.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 58% in 1996 and the biggest yearly fall was 17.7% in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 23% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Albania had the 17th highest value of the 29 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Albania in the 2024 ranking

• Canada — 14th of 29: 1.99 trillion
• Spain — 15th of 29: 1.68 trillion
• Singapore — 16th of 29: 1.28 trillion
• Malaysia — 18th of 29: 1.25 trillion
• Kyrgyz Republic — 19th of 29: 612.83 billion
• New Zealand — 20th of 29: 224.61 billion

What this measures

Debt is the entire stock of direct government fixed-term contractual obligations to others outstanding on a particular date. It includes domestic and foreign liabilities such as currency and money deposits, securities other than shares, and loans. It is the gross amount of government liabilities reduced by the amount of equity and financial derivatives held by the government. Because debt is a stock rather than a flow, it is measured as of a given date, usually the last day of the fiscal year. Central government is the part of general government that includes all administrative departments of the national executive, legislative, and judicial functions, other central agencies and those non-market producers controlled by the central government, whose competence extends normally over the whole economic territory. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 18 values

Central government debt, total (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Belarus — 44.79 billion (2019)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 21.36 billion (2024)
• Georgia — 37.3 billion (2024)
• Hungary — 66.82 trillion (2024)
• Iceland — 3.5 trillion (2023)
• Kazakhstan — 24.95 trillion (2023)
• Kyrgyz Republic — 612.83 billion (2024)
• Moldova — 121.39 billion (2024)
• Russian Federation — 36.11 trillion (2024)
• San Marino

More public sector data for Albania

• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 54.11 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.03% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 23 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 623.61 million (2025)
• Intentional homicides, female (per 100,000 female) — 0.84 (2023)
• Intentional homicides, male (per 100,000 male) — 1.94 (2023)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 1.39 (2023)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 8,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.65% (2020)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Albania's central government debt, total (current LCU)?

1.26 trillion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1995?

It is up 1,486% from 79.31 billion in 1995 (10% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.53 trillion in 2021 and the lowest 79.31 billion in 1995.

How does Albania rank?

17th highest of 29 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in central government debt, total (current LCU) unusual for Albania?

In 2024, Albania's central government debt, total (current LCU) rose 0.3% on 2023 (from 1.25 trillion to 1.26 trillion). Across the 15 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2023), the average change was +10.6% and a typical year strayed about 19.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.DOD.TOTL.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.