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Sejko said that employment and wage growth are expected, reflecting a positive performance of the labor market and household consumption.
The Governor of the Bank of Albania, Gent Sejko, at the conference on monetary policy decision-making for the fourth quarter of 2025, announced that the Albanian economy continued to grow during the second half of the year.
Sejko said that employment and wage growth are expected, reflecting a positive performance of the labor market and household consumption.
Consumer price inflation was maintained at an average level of 2.2% during October-November, mainly due to the decline in food prices and the stabilization of rental prices.
Core and domestic inflation remain stable, while imported inflation has recorded negative values.
Governor Sejko announced that the base interest rate remains unchanged at 2.5%, while the overnight deposit interest rate is maintained at 1.5%, and the overnight loan interest rate at 3.5%. He added that non-performing loans remain at 4.3%, indicating the stability of the banking system and the quality of the loan portfolio.
Economic activity has been supported by increased consumption, investment and exports of services, especially tourism, which recorded an increase of around 22% in the third quarter.
The unemployment rate fell to 8.1%, while wages in the private sector increased by 9.8%, improving households' purchasing power without generating inflationary pressures.
In relation to financial stability, the Bank of Albania has maintained the health of the banking system through in-depth supervision, macroprudential policies and extraordinary interventions.
Credit to the private sector has continued to grow at high rates, reflecting the expansion of investments and the sustainability of financing.
The Bank has also made significant progress in payment systems, completing the modernization of critical infrastructures and securing Albania's accession to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), as well as launching the TIPS Clone project for instant payments.
The country's foreign exchange reserves continue to grow and currently stand at 7.1 billion euros, while the Bank's work has focused on its effective management and diversification of investment instruments.
The Bank of Albania's forecasts remain positive: economic activity is expected to grow close to medium-term potential, inflation will return to the 3% target during the second quarter of 2026, and employment and wage growth will continue.
This conference was the last for 2025, and Governor Sejko mentioned that the Bank has successfully fulfilled its objectives of price stability, supporting financial stability and developing financial markets, contributing to strengthening the country's macroeconomic stability.
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