The number of foreign nationals with residence permits in Albania reached 32,163 by the end of 2025, a 46.6% increase compared to the previous year, according to data from the Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT).
By comparison, 21,940 foreigners held residence permits in 2024, and 21,460 in 2023. Thus, in the last year alone, the number of foreign residents increased by more than 10,000 people.
Albania’s total permanent population as of January 1, 2026, was 2.336 million people, a decrease of 1.16% over the past year. Thus, the growth in the foreign population is occurring simultaneously with the ongoing decline in the country’s total population.
However, determining the exact current number of all foreigners actually residing in Albania is more difficult than determining the number of residence permit holders. INSTAT explicitly notes that the country does not yet have a unified population registry, and annual demographic estimates are based on several data sources. The most recent national census, conducted in September 2023, counted 15,210 residents with foreign citizenship or without citizenship out of a total population of 2.402 million. These figures cannot be directly compared with the administrative statistics on residence permits for the end of 2025 due to differences in dates and methodology.
By the end of 2025, the largest group among foreigners with residence permits was citizens of Kosovo—6,284 people, or 19.5% of the total. They were followed by citizens of Italy (4,065), India (2,886), and the Philippines (2,401).
Ukrainians are not included in this top four, but their presence in Albania has its own specific characteristics. During 2025, Ukrainian citizens submitted 312 applications for residence permits, accounting for about 2% of applications from the main countries of origin. By comparison, Russians submitted 442 applications.
However, the actual number of Ukrainians living in Albania is higher than the number of standard residence permit holders. On April 10, 2026, the Albanian government allowed Ukrainian citizens to enter without visas and remain in the country without a residence permit until March 30, 2027. This rule also applies to Ukrainians already in the country.
Thus, Ukrainians can legally reside in Albania without being included in INSTAT’s main statistics on foreigners with residence permits. Therefore, the figure of 32,160 people primarily reflects holders of residence permits, rather than absolutely all foreign citizens who are actually in the country for an extended period.
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