Albanians have a much lower individual consumption level than the European average, but they spend almost as many euros per capita on food as citizens of the European Union. This contrast makes food take up a much larger share of the consumer budget in Albania.

According to Eurostat data for 2025, current individual consumption in Albania amounts to 8,656 euros per capita per year, or about 20.3 billion euros nationwide. The EU average is 27,463 euros per capita, which means that the per capita income of an Albanian is only about 32% of that of a resident in one of the European Union countries.

The biggest difference is in food, in terms of weight to total, but not in terms of value, an indicator of poverty in the country. Of the 8,656 euros that make up the annual consumption per capita in Albania, 2,513 euros go to food and non-alcoholic beverages. In total, this category is estimated at around 5.9 billion euros, or 29% of all individual consumption.

In the EU, food costs an average of 2,847 euros per capita, which is only about 13% more in absolute terms than in Albania. However, due to much higher disposable income, which gives them more opportunities to consume in other categories, their share in the European basket is only 10.4%. Food in Albania accounts for 2.8 times more than the EU average.

After them, among the categories with the largest weight in Albania are housing and energy expenses. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels account for 1,172 euros per inhabitant, or about 2.75 billion euros in total. This category takes up 13.5% of consumption, less than the level of 18.8% in the EU.

Furniture, household appliances and home maintenance also have a significantly higher weight in Albania. 751 euros are spent on this group per inhabitant, or about 1.77 billion euros in total. The category accounts for 8.7% of consumption, compared to only 3.8% in the EU.

In contrast, healthcare accounts for a smaller share of Albanian consumption. Eurostat calculates 662 euros per capita, or about 1.56 billion euros at the national level, equivalent to 7.6% of the total. In the European Union, the share reaches 13.4%.

Transport also has a smaller share in the Albanian structure: 576 euros per capita and about 1.36 billion euros in total, or 6.7%, compared to 9.9% in the EU. For restaurants and accommodation, 427 euros per capita are calculated, while the share in consumption is 4.9%, compared to 7.2% in the Union.

On clothing and shoes, an Albanian spends 205 euros per year (2.4% of the total, compared to the EU average of 881 euros (3.2% of the total).

A high level of spending is reported for the item “Recreation, sports and culture”, which also includes tourist packages. In Albania, 1,162 euros per capita are estimated, with a total value of around 2.73 billion euros, out of the 1900 euros per capita EU average. The weight reaches 13.4%, almost double the European average of 6.9% with a resident of the BER spending an average of 2730 euros per year on transport.

This figure at first glance seems very high, but it is more than just high entertainment expenses. The main reason is the way national accounts are constructed. INSTAT, which is the primary source of data for Albania, explains that household final consumption is not only obtained from the Budget Survey, but is reconstructed from a number of administrative and economic sources.

Precisely for the group "Recreation and culture", INSTAT says that tourist packages are estimated by extrapolating data according to the production of the accommodation and food sector, while audiovisual equipment, large recreational equipment, recreational items, gardening, pets, books and stationery are also estimated from trade production. Audio/video equipment is also estimated from imports, adding VAT and trade margin. In contrast, the 2024 Household Budget Survey, where households report their expenses, only gives recreation and culture 2.6%.

Eurostat explains that the current individual consumption indicator is broader than payments that households make directly out of pocket, as it also includes individual services financed by the state, especially in areas such as health and education./ Monitor