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Gender  Albania has been actively working towards gender equality including a balanced participation of women and men in decision-making processes and a reduction in discrimination and gender-based violence, among many issues.   The current State Cabinet in 2021 has a majority of women, with females as 12 of 17 cabinet ministers and Albania ranks first according to the United Nations’ general classification for the number of women in the government, up from 5th with the previous government. Women represent over 50 percent of the Albanian government and 30 percent of Parliament. Also, 50 percent of senior management positions in public administration are held by women.  The UN Women’s... read more →

Societal impacts of arts  Old and new traditions, amateur and professional creative practices and arts education contribute to the social cohesion of the country. A well maintained oral history of cultural heritage has kept many figures, stories, symbols and traditions active in various art forms. A major part of Albanian tourism campaigns are focussed on cultural heritage, and the development of heritage sites including workshops, marketplaces, guesthouses and more offering increasing economic benefits and has played a role in preserving traditional knowledge and skills while also helping lift people out of poverty85.     A strong sense of national identity exists and many symbols are regularly depicted... read more →

Media pluralism and content diversity  The Ethical Code of the Albanian Media Institute72, created in 1996 and revised in 2006, states that journalists "have the right to obtain information, to publish, and to criticise. Information should be truthful, balanced and verified”. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), journalism in Albania is in a “problematic state”73. A joint research project between Reporters Without Borders and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania revealed that Albanian media is mostly controlled by a few major owners with strong political affiliations, which control more than half of the audience share and nearly 90% of the market share... read more →

Language  Albanian is an Indo-European language, a single branch in the Indo-European tree. The Gheg dialect is spoken in Northern Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, while Tosk has been the basis for the official dialect of standard Albanian, recognised officially in 1972.  Article 14 of the Albanian Constitution states "The official language in the Republic of Albania is Albanian"; nonetheless, many Albanians speak multiple languages fluently and the country has a long history of inter-cultural exchange through the use of many languages.   For the 2020-2021 academic year among post-secondary students enrolled in fields of study relating to culture, 39.9% were studying languages, with women representing the majority76. Among... read more →

Culture and social inclusion  The Social Inclusion Strategy was approved in 2008 by the Council of Ministers. The Inter-sectoral Strategy on Social Inclusion (2007–2013), also referred to as the National Strategy on Social Inclusion (NSSI), is a policy document under the National Strategy for Development and Integration (NSDI).  The UNDP in Albania has supported projects focussed on the social inclusion of Roma and Egyptian communities as well as Persons with Disabilities, among other development projects. UNDP Albania also works on building capacities of institutions at central and local levels to enhance participation of civil society and citizens as rights holders in... read more →

General developments  Among the main developments in the cultural arts and creative industries has been the incorporation and use of new technology, data collection and statistics. The National Strategy for Culture 2019-2024, mentions the establishment of a Centre for Research of  the  Cultural  and  Creative  Industries. Its purpose is to centrally organize training and research, fundraise for the implementation of local and international projects, create a central statistical system for data on the culture and creative industries in Albania, collect and publish cultural data from all public and private actors, create promotional platforms for cultural tourism, etc.   

Heritage  Albania has a total of 2028 cultural monuments89, including mosques, Muslim quarters, Orthodox and Catholic churches, convents, Shia Tekke, Byzantine walls, Roman, Illyrian and other remains, representing a coexistence of peoples for over three millennia. Certain caves also fall under the jurisdiction of the Institute of Cultural Monuments, based on the Council of Ministers’ decision Nr. 451/1993.  The Regional Programme on Cultural and Natural Heritage in South East Europe of the Council of Europe in 2003 had 3 components: The Integrated Rehabilitation Project Plan/Survey of the Architectural and Archaeological Heritage, Ljubljana Process: rehabilitating our common heritage and Local Development Pilot Projects (LDPP)90.  The Cultural Heritage Act Nr.... read more →

Key developments  The Government’s culture department has stabilised since 2013 as the Ministry of Culture, (no longer covering sport/tourism/youth) and has remained in the same location with just 2 ministers holding office, compared to the period from 2000-2010 in which the office relocated three times and changed ministers 9 times.   Albania was granted EU Candidate Status in 2014 and Albanian citizens opening travel to 98 countries without an advance Visa, including the Schengen Area since 2010. In 2021 Albanians can travel visa-free (or visa on arrival) to 115 countries. Albanians will be required to apply for the new European travel permit, ETIAS (European Travel Information and... read more →

Main non-governmental actors  See 1.2.6 and 2.1  National Conference of Civil Society in Albania 2020-Summary Document29 Agency for the Support of Civil Society (AMSHC)30 National Council for Civil Society31 Independent Culture Scene32 

Data on selected public and private cultural institutions  Table 1: Cultural institutions, by sector and domain  DomainCultural Institutions(subdomains)Public SectorPrivate SectorNumber (year) Trend last 5 years (In %) Number (year) Trend last 5 years (In %) Culturalheritage Regional directories,administration, and coordination under the Ministry of Culture  Cultural Monuments 7 (2021)   2028 Archaeological sites(under the Ministry of Culture) 9 (2020) Museums Museum institutions (under the Ministry of Culture) 12 (2020) Archives Archive institutions National FilmArchive  National Library Central StateArchive3Visual artsPublic art galleries/exhibitionhalls (institutions under the Ministry of Culture) National ArtGallery National HistoryMuseum  2Performing artsPerformance and stable spaces for theatre (institutions under the Ministry of Culture) National Experimental Theatre National Opera and Ballet National Puppet Theatre Ar Turbina National Circus 4 Concert HousesTheatre companiesDance and ballet companiesSymphonic orchestrasLibraries Libraries NationalLibrary in Tirana and other municipal ones Audiovisual CinemasBroadcasting organisations InterdisciplinarySocio-cultural centres / cultural houses Other... read more →