A farmer ploughing his land with a horse in a traditional vineyard - Albania. © Tim Dirven (Panos)
Since communism fell in Albania in 1992, the country has undergone a period of progress characterized by impressive economic growth and significant social change.
Poverty has retreated - with fewer than one in five people living on less than $2 a day in 2005, compared to one in four people in 2002 – as private sector productivity has increased. The most vulnerable people enjoy better access to welfare and healthcare (the under-5 mortality rate dropping from 46 out of every 1,000 births in 1990 to 15 in 2007), democracy has gained a real foothold and the country has begun to play a more influential role in Europe.
DFID assistance to Albania over the last 15 years has helped bring about these improvements, which have been reflected in the country’s reclassification as a middle income nation. In 2009, as a result of Albania’s changed status, the UK changed the way it supports the country.
DFID no longer has a bilateral programme in Albania but the UK continues to support Albanian development through multilateral institutions such as the European Union, the UN and the World Bank. Despite the progress of recent years, Albania remains one of the poorest countries in Europe and, in the years ahead, further progress is needed particularly in improving governance, strengthening state institutions and making public services more effective.