Recent trends in Albania suggest that it has the potential for a modern and competitive agricultural sector, provided there is sufficient private investment and the right policy environment. This chapter looks at the role of agriculture in the economy and the current status of the sector, and...

"This paper examines the role of male-dominated international migration in shaping labor market outcomes by gender in migrant-sending households in Albania. Using detailed information on family migration experience from the latest Living Standards Measurement Study survey, the authors find that...

"The contribution of return migrants to economic development in source countries can be significant. Overseas savings of returnees may lead to improvements in household welfare and provide liquidity for investments in the face of credit market failures. Labor market experience and skills...

Most economies with a legacy of central planning are changing in fundamental ways. With the rapid economic, social, and political changes in these economies an update of the first edition of Historically Planned Economies (HPEs): A Guide to the Data, has become necessary. In addition to...

In many countries absent or poorly functioning prepayment mechanisms for health care expose families to the financial risks associated with accidents and sickness. The report exploits a specially designed health governance and accountability module that was added to the 2008 wave of the Albania...

Since 1998 Albania has experienced an important transformation that has lifted it into the ranks of upper middle income countries and has allowed a sharp reduction in poverty. Growth averaged more than 6 percent per year between 1998 and 2010, the best performance in Europe. This helped to...

This report provides a concise overview of the current situation of the mining sector in Albania. It evaluates the major events that took place in the last two decades (especially regarding the privatization process), and examines its governance, overarching policies and its legal frameworks...

Energy security is a key concern in Albania, which relies on hydropower for about 90 percent of its electricity production. While renewable energy resources like hydropower play a fundamental role in moving the world towards a low-carbon economy, they are also vulnerable to climatic conditions....

Commitment to structural reforms and to economic stabilization has enabled high rates of gross domestic product (GDP) growth in Albania since the start of transition, and consequent reductions in poverty. The crisis caused by the collapse of 'pyramid' investment schemes in late 1996 and early...