From January 1, 2026, the minimum wage in Albania will increase from 400 thousand lek (about 380 euros) IN 500 thousand lek (about 475 euros), an increase of 25%, according to economic expert Fatos Çoçoli.
On RTSH, moderated by Arbër Hitaj, the economics expert emphasized that "this means that there will no longer be lower salary declarations than 500 thousand lek (about 475 euros) on the payrolls submitted to taxes.”
"The minimum wage will increase by 25 percent. Today it is 400 thousand lek (about 380 euros) and from January 1st it becomes 500 thousand (about 475 euros). So, there will no longer be lists of payrolls that will be submitted to taxes with a salary lower than 500 thousand lek (about 475 euros)", said Çoçoli.
The expert also emphasized that the new 2026 budget provides additional lek for the monthly increase in pensions, a measure that according to him will be directly felt by pensioners every month.
"I think this is an important move. Pensioners will feel it every month when they receive their next pension. In general, the increase is related to the contributions that the pensioner has made to society, while the bonus will be distributed with more money to those with the lowest pensions," he said.
Çoçoli pointed out that Albania ranks higher than Kosovo in terms of pension levels. "Kosovo is below us, even though the Kurti government has made great efforts to increase pensions. We are a little better than Kosovo," Çoçoli emphasized.
In conclusion, expert Çoçoli suggests that the sustainability of the pension system in Albania still remains a long-term challenge that requires a balance between contributors and beneficiaries.
"For us to be able to consider a scheme that can sustain itself, we are still a long way off. To be sustainable, we need to achieve at least a 1 to 2 ratio, meaning two contributors paying social security for one beneficiary," the economic expert underlined, among other things.
