Energy, how dependent are we on imports? Albania, among the countries with the lowest energy dependence in the region
Data from the European Statistical Agency (Eurostat) on energy import dependence show that in 2024 Albania imported 27.3% of the energy it consumed. When compared to two decades ago, it turns out that the country's dependence on imports has decreased significantly. In 2004, this dependence was 47.8%, which means that within 20 years Albania has reduced its energy dependence by about 20 percentage points, one of the largest improvements in Europe.
In the European Union, during 2024, the average level of energy import dependence was 57%, meaning that over half of energy needs were covered by net imports. However, this dependence varies significantly between EU countries, ranging from 98% in Malta, 91% in Luxembourg and 88% in Cyprus, to just 5% in Estonia.
In this comparison, Albania is about 30 percentage points less dependent on energy imports than the EU average. This relatively low level is mainly related to the country's energy production structure, which relies heavily on hydroelectric power plants, which produce the majority of the country's electricity.
Even in the Balkan region, Albania ranks among the countries with the lowest dependence on energy imports. In 2024, Serbia had a dependence of 40.8%, North Macedonia 65.3%, while Montenegro 33% and Bosnia and Herzegovina 27.8%. At 27.3%, Albania is almost on par with Bosnia and better than most countries in the region.
However, the country's energy system remains highly dependent on climatic conditions, as the main production comes from hydroelectric power plants. In years with low rainfall, domestic production falls and the country is forced to increase energy imports.
For this reason, investments in solar energy, wind and resource diversification are considered essential to maintain and strengthen energy independence in the coming years.
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