Elbasan residents increase their "debts" more than others/ Borrowing increases throughout the country, but Tirana holds the "lion's share"
According to data from the Bank of Albania, loans to individuals continued to grow in the first quarter of 2026. At the end of this period, total loans to individuals reached 381.1 billion lek, from 322.6 billion lek in the first quarter of 2025, marking an annual increase of 18.1%.
The largest share of credit to individuals is concentrated in Tirana. In the capital, the loan stock reached 257.4 billion lek, up from 217.5 billion lek a year earlier, an increase of 18.3%. This means that Tirana holds about 67.5% of the total credit to individuals in the country.
After Tirana, the highest level of loans to individuals is recorded in Durrës, with 25.6 billion lek, followed by Vlora with 10.8 billion lek, Fier with 10.3 billion lek and Elbasan with 10.1 billion lek.
In terms of growth, Elbasan has recorded the strongest performance. Credit to individuals in this
increased by 22%, reaching 10.1 billion lek, from 8.27 billion lek a year earlier. It is followed by Durrës with an increase of 18.7%, Korça and other regions with 18.6% each, and Tirana with 18.3%.
A significant portion of loans to individuals are related to the purchase of housing. In Tirana, housing loans reached 186.4 billion lek, up from 159.9 billion lek in the first quarter of last year, an increase of 16.6%. In this category too, the capital clearly dominates, holding the vast majority of financing for real estate.
Loans for housing purchases have also increased in most other regions. In Durrës, it reached 15 billion lekë, an increase of 11.4%, while in Korça it increased by 10.3% and in Elbasan by 10.1%. More moderate increases were recorded in Fier with 8.9%, Vlora with 5.2% and Shkodra with 3.2%.
Lezha is the only region where housing loans are showing a slight decline. At the end of the first quarter of 2026, this category fell to 3.33 billion lek, from 3.34 billion lek a year earlier, with a minimal contraction of 0.1%.
Overall, the data show that credit to individuals continues to expand at high rates, while the market remains highly concentrated in Tirana. Housing loans remain the main segment of individual borrowing, but the growth is not uniform across regions.
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