According to the World Bank, “Albania has transformed from one of the poorest countries in Europe to an upper-middle-income country. The country is implementing important reforms to revitalize growth and job creation, while advancing the European Union integration agenda.”  However, few statistics are available to determine the actual average income.  According to CEIC, the reported monthly earnings per person is $620 as of March 2022.  Assuming this represents 60% of total income, the average worker makes over $1,000 per month. (With approximately 40% to 50% of the country’s economy traded in cash, identifying the exact average income is not possible.)  According to the US State Department, total bank deposits at the end of 2021 are approximately USD 17 billion, mostly based on customers deposits.  This equates to an average of $22,000 per household.  (This compares to the United States that has a median bank account balance of $5,300 and an average savings account balance of $41,600, among those that have savings accounts.)    According to the US State Department Albania’s economy weathered three consecutive shocks, including the 2019 earthquake, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economic shocks of Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine. Following a contraction of 3.5 percent in 2020, Albania’s economy bounced back growing by 8.5 percent in 2021and 5.3% in 2022.  Some of the key drivers of this growth can be attributed to construction activity, the easing of pandemic-related restrictions, and the recovery and strong growth of the tourism sector.  Unemployment dropped from its peak of 11.9 percent during 2021 to 10.7 percent in the second quarter of 2023.   Unlike Americans, Albanians carry very little debt.  According to Trading Economics, Albania’s national debt is only 78% of its GDP.  In comparison, the United States debt equates to 137%, nearby Italy is 151%, and Albania’s neighbor, Greece, debt to GGP ratio is 193% of its GDP.  As house mortgages and car loans are nearly non-existent in Albania, Albanians enjoy a comparatively high amount of disposable income.  Most Albanians do not pay rent as they now own the home in which they were living when the dictatorship fell in 1991.  Tirana Tirana is the fastest growing capital city in Europe.  Albania’s ranking as an “upper-middle-income country” is evident when walks through the capital city, Tirana, and sees the number of people driving luxury cars and going out on a nightly basis to dine and enjoy the cafes and nightlife.  (During the pandemic, Albania overtook Spain as having the most cafes per capita.)  According to Euronews statistic, household income within Tirana prefecture is nearly double the national average for household income.  Car ownership is high as well.  At the end of the 2021, there were 539,000 cars registered in Albania, with 40% of those (215,600) registered in Tirana prefecture.  Assuming 2.2 adults per household, this equates two 66.6% of the households owning a vehicle.  This percentage is in line or above other major cities across western Europe, including London and Paris.  The two most popular brands are Mercedes Benz with 18% of the market, followed by Volkswagen at 10%. Based on the above statistics, the following chart was assembled illustrating the likely economic breakdown of Tirana prefecture, the capital city whose population represents more than 1/3 of the total population.  The breakdown by income class is based on discussions with local Albanian and Tirana Municipality government officials, and typical income distributions by class experienced in developed cities across the world.  While the wages below appear comparatively low against other European nations, it is important to note that residents of Tirana enjoy a comparatively positive lifestyle due to their low levels of debt and lack of rent/ mortgage and car payments. Sources: World Bank, Euronews, Trading Economics, US State Department