During a presentation of the Socialist Party’s achievements in Shkodër, Prime Minister and Socialist Party leader Edi Rama announced that Albania’s minimum wage will rise to 500 euros by January 2026, as part of a long-term strategy to raise wages across the country. He also claimed the creation of 300,000 new jobs during his government’s mandate.
Referring to employment statistics since the Socialist Party took office, Rama stated: “There were 1,023,000 employed people when we took over. By the end of 2024, that number has reached 1,327,000.”
He added that while there has been public scrutiny over these figures, the data reflects significant job growth, with only 15% of employees earning under 40,000 lekë.
In his remarks, Rama emphasized the government’s commitment to salary increases:
“The minimum wage was 127 euros, it is now 400, and by January 2026 it will be 500 euros. In the Albania of 2030, it will be at least 650 euros.”
According to the prime minister, the private sector is already reaching the 500-euro minimum, with many companies paying even higher salaries. Meanwhile, the average wage has seen a marked increase—from 322 euros to 848 euros, with the goal of reaching 1,000 euros in the near future. Rama added that in the public sector, the average salary is expected to climb to 1,200 euros.
The announcement forms part of the broader “Rilindja” (Renaissance) policy overview being presented by Rama in advance of future political and economic planning sessions.
