Albania’s industrial sector recorded mixed results in 2025, with stronger production of cement, ready-mix concrete, fresh bread and automotive electrical components, while the extractive industry experienced significant declines in crude oil and chromium sales.
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Cement and concrete production increased
Production of Portland cement reached approximately 1.99 million tonnes in 2025, an increase of 2.5 percent compared with the previous year.
Production of ready-mix concrete also increased, rising 3.5 percent to around 1.77 million tonnes.
Despite the higher physical output, cement sales remained broadly stable at approximately 19.4 billion lek, while sales of ready-mix concrete increased from around 13 billion lek in 2024 to 13.7 billion lek in 2025.
Construction-related products also recorded some of the strongest increases in sales. Factory-produced mortar sales rose by 19.5 percent, while sales of unwrought alloyed aluminium increased by 15.4 percent.
Automotive components and food production also grew
One of the strongest increases in industrial production was recorded in insulated electric wiring systems for motor vehicles.
Production rose by 8.7 percent, reaching approximately 263 million units. Sales of these automotive components increased from about 8.7 billion lek in 2024 to 9.5 billion lek in 2025.
Food production also continued to expand.
Fresh bread production increased by 8.4 percent, reaching approximately 67,200 tonnes, while the value of fresh bread sales rose by 11.1 percent.
Sales of mineral and carbonated water also increased by 8 percent. Production of mineral and carbonated water rose from approximately 4.98 million hectolitres in 2024 to 5.09 million hectolitres in 2025.
Crude oil sales fell sharply
The strongest negative results were recorded in Albania’s extractive industries.
Crude oil production fell from approximately 716,000 tonnes in 2024 to 634,000 tonnes in 2025.
More significantly, the value of crude oil sales dropped from around 29.9 billion lek to 22.6 billion lek, representing a decline of 24.3 percent.
The figures indicate that the decline in the oil sector was not simply a change in production volumes. The value generated by crude oil sales fell considerably faster, highlighting the importance of both production levels and market prices in determining the sector’s performance.
Chromium industry also contracted
Chromium recorded a similar downward trend.
Production of chromium ores and concentrates declined from approximately 588,000 tonnes in 2024 to 502,800 tonnes in 2025.
The value of sales fell from approximately 14.9 billion lek to 11.35 billion lek, a decline of 23.9 percent.
The contraction in both crude oil and chromium sales weighed on the performance of Albania’s extractive industry, even as several manufacturing and construction-related activities expanded.
Food industry remains the largest contributor
According to INSTAT, the food industry accounted for 16.4 percent of total sales of industrial products in 2025, making it the largest industrial product group by sales value.
It was followed by the production of non-metallic mineral products, which accounted for 14.4 percent, while metallurgy represented 8.4 percent.
Among individual products, crude oil remained one of the largest contributors to industrial sales despite its sharp decline, generating approximately 22.65 billion lek in 2025.
Portland cement and other cement products generated around 19.37 billion lek, followed by ready-mix concrete at approximately 13.67 billion lek and chromium ores and concentrates at around 11.35 billion lek.
A mixed picture for Albanian industry
The 2025 figures present a mixed picture of Albania’s industrial economy.
Manufacturing activities linked to construction, food production and automotive components recorded increases in production or sales, while the country's traditional extractive industries, particularly crude oil and chromium, experienced substantial declines.
The data also underline a broader feature of Albania’s industrial structure: although extractive industries continue to generate significant revenues, a large share of industrial activity is increasingly represented by processing and manufacturing sectors.
INSTAT notes that the 2025 PRODCOM data were compiled using the updated PRODCOM 2025 list, with the 2024 data also classified under the same system to allow meaningful year-to-year comparison.