Albania at the bottom of the region in healthcare funding

The report published by “Together for Life” raises concerns about the critical situation of public financing in Albania’s healthcare system. According to the report “Monitoring Health Sector Expenditures 2025”, the country remains among the least funded in the region, despite government claims of increased healthcare budgets.

Albania’s healthcare spending per capita is 33% lower than the Western Balkans average and 42% lower than the regional average.

For 2025, healthcare spending in Albania accounts for only 2.9% of GDP and 9.6% of the public budget, while per capita funding reaches just 590 dollars, the lowest level in the Western Balkans. At the same time, Albanian citizens continue to pay nearly half of all healthcare costs out of pocket, at 48.27% of total spending, the highest level in the region.

According to the report, these indicators place the country far from the goals of the National Health Strategy 2021–2030 and the government’s promises of free healthcare.

The report also highlights unrealized investments and weaknesses in fund management.

To improve the situation, it recommends increasing the share of public financing for healthcare relative to GDP and total public expenditure. It also calls for strengthening the health insurance scheme to reduce out-of-pocket payments.

Further recommendations include expanding the coverage of reimbursement packages for citizens and improving transparency and monitoring of public investments and hospital performance.

"KORÇA BOOM"