Emigrants send 621 million euros in 6 months, remittances at record high

Emigrant remittances have hit another record, reaching 621 million euros in the first six months of the year. But the strengthening of the lek against the euro is eroding the value of these transfers for Albanian families who convert them into the local currency.

Money that Albanians abroad send to their families in Albania has hit another record.

In the first six months of the year, emigrants brought 621.4 million euros into the country, up 17% compared to the same period last year.

In the second quarter alone, transfers reached 347 million euros, about 24% more than a year earlier.

This is the highest figure recorded for a six-month period since 2008. Within just one year, the Albanian economy has thus received about 89 million euros more from remittances.

The rise in transfers is also linked to changing emigration destinations. Besides Italy and Greece, which continue to have the largest Albanian communities, in recent years emigrants have moved toward countries like Germany and the United Kingdom, where higher wages create more opportunities to support families in Albania.

This year’s record comes after another record year. In 2025, remittances reached about 1.12 billion euros, significantly surpassing 1 billion for the first time.

But despite the rise in money sent, its effect on the Albanian economy is being eroded by the strengthening of the lek.

The euro has continued to lose value against the local currency, falling from about 96.6 lek in January to 94.8 lek in June. This means the same amount of euros, when exchanged in Albania, brings fewer lek to recipient families.