Trade balance, how does Albania rank in the region? Second for deficit to GDP, but only 39% import coverage
Albania recorded the second lowest trade deficit in goods in the Western Balkans in 2025, when this indicator is measured in relation to the size of the economy, according to "Scan Intel" calculations based on official data.
According to official figures, Albanian exports of goods amounted to 346 billion lek, while imports amounted to 887 billion lek. The difference between them created a trade deficit of 541 billion lek. Faced with a Gross Domestic Product of 2.65 trillion lek, the deficit is equal to about 20.4% of GDP.
In the region, only Serbia is in a better position. The goods trade deficit in the Serbian economy was around 9.9% of GDP in 2025.
Albania is followed by North Macedonia, where the deficit was as much as 20.9% of GDP, and Bosnia and Herzegovina with 22.3%. The gap becomes much larger in Montenegro and Kosovo, where the goods trade deficit reaches around 47.6% and 55.5% of GDP, respectively.
Thus, none of the six Western Balkan economies recorded a surplus in goods trade during 2025. All imported more than they exported, but the size of the gap varies significantly from one country to another.
However, Albania's second position in the deficit/GDP ratio does not necessarily imply a strong export performance. Another indicator, that of import coverage by exports, changes the picture somewhat.
In Albania, exports covered only 39% of imports during 2025. Simply put, for every 100 euros of goods purchased from abroad, the country exported goods worth only about 39 euros.
Serbia also performs better in this indicator, with exports covering about 79% of imports. North Macedonia reaches 69.4%, while Bosnia and Herzegovina reaches 56.7%.
Albania, therefore, ranks behind these three economies in terms of the ability of exports to cover imports. It is followed by Kosovo with 13.4% and Montenegro with 12.8%.
Data for Albania also shows that the trade gap worsened during 2025. Exports of goods fell by 6.1% compared to the previous year, while imports decreased by only 0.8%. As a result, the trade deficit increased by 3%.
In this way, Albania performs relatively better than most of the region when the deficit is compared to the size of the economy, but the ratio between exports and imports continues to show a high dependence on imported goods.
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