Albania "attracts" less EU, but more region/ Foreign companies in the country. Italy falls in number, but not in power
From 2024, the map of foreign capital in Albania shows a noticeable shift in weight from European Union countries towards the Western Balkans and other countries. Although the total number of foreign and joint ventures increased slightly, from 6,938 to 7,007, the weight of EU countries fell from 63.1% to 60.7%, as their number decreased from 4,378 to 4,253. In contrast, Western Balkan countries increased from 761 to 831 enterprises, bringing their weight from 11.0% to 11.9%, while other countries expanded from 1,799 to 1,923 enterprises, or from 25.9% to 27.4% of the total.
At the country level, the strongest growth was recorded by Kosovo, with 63 more companies, followed by Turkey with 50, while the largest decline was recorded in Italy, with 96 fewer companies, although it remains the most dominant country in the market. There were also declines for Greece, Switzerland and Austria, while Germany remained almost at the same level. These movements show that, although the European axis remains decisive, its relative weight is fading slightly, while the presence of regional capital and investors from countries outside the EU is increasing.
However, Italy continues to remain the main pillar of foreign capital in Albania, while Kosovo is gaining ground at a noticeable pace in the number of enterprises operating in the country. Around 2,930 enterprises were Italian-owned or co-owned. This means that around 41.8% of this contingent is related to Italy, which keeps the neighboring country in the role of the dominant actor of foreign capital in the Albanian economy.
The Italian weight is not measured only by the number of companies. Within the group of foreign and joint ventures, Italy accounts for 46.8% of employment and 25.6% of net sales, remaining the main player in the economic activity of this segment.
As for neighboring countries, North Macedonia and Montenegro each scored 4 more companies, from 162 to 166 and from 22 to 26, respectively, Bosnia and Herzegovina remained at 12, while Serbia fell slightly from 46 to 45.
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