Integrated Cross-Sectorial Plan of Tirana-Durres Area

Economic profile of the Tirana-Durres
metropolitan region
The region comprises 8.4% of the territory
and accommodates 37% of the country’s
population. It is the region with the highest
density in the country, 443 inhabitants/
km 2 compared to 101 inhabitants/ km 2
which is the national average. According
to the demographic projections in 2031 the
population density in the region will be 532%
of the national average, or 515 inhabitants/
km 2 compared to 97 inhabitants/km 2 which
is estimated to be the average density of the
national population. The figures presented
are based on population density according
to INSTAT and according to the ICSP Tirana-
Durres analysis.
The population of the Tirana-Durres region
is estimated to grow by 211,560 inhabitants
by 2031. This growth will be mainly in Tirana
with about 201 thousand inhabitants or 26.4%
more than the population measured in 2011.
While in Durres the growth will be 3.7% or
approximately 10 thousand more inhabitants.
This trend imposes in-depth studies related to
the planning and development of the territory
to the benefit of facilitating and promoting
economic activity in line with the principles and
objectives of sustainable development 2030.
Tirana-Durres region generates 48% of the
GDP and represents the region with the
highest income per capita, which is 1.32
times more than the national average. While
in Tirana the income per capita is 1.41 times
higher than the national average.
The structure of the gross value added (GVA)
shows that this region provides 71.8% of the
GVA of transport, 66% of tourism, 64.9% of
the post and telecommunications and 62.5%
of construction. This economic structure
identifies current priorities and potentials for
the future, especially in the sectors of ICT,
which will support economic restructuring of
the region towards innovative businesses.
The social capital in the economic area Tirana-
Durres represents favourable potentials to
support the productive restructuring of the
region’s economy and can transform into the
main driver to increase the productivity of
the national economy. Over 75% of the higher
education institutions, research centres and
non-profit organizations are concentrated in
this region.
The structure of jobseekers in the Tirana-
Durres region indicates a high degree of
individuals with higher education, which means
that a better alignment between the supply
and demand of the labour market is required.
The ambition to make this region a hub of
new technologies and the increasing rate
of application of new technologies by public
institutions and private companies impose
structural reforms on the supply side. This
region has the best social capital to support
this structural change, without which the
national economy cannot become competitive.
Despite being one of the most developed
economic areas of the country, the area of
Tirana-Durres deals with social challenges
of poverty. More specifically, the poverty of
young families and those with many children
is higher than the national average. Indicators
get worse in Durres. Local development plans
of the territory and the socio-economic plans
should aim at reducing poverty and mitigating
disparities within their territories.
The potentials of the economic development
of the Tirana-Durres area are great, both
because of the importance as the capital of
public institutions and private businesses,
as well as due to the access to economic
development corridors and integration
within the pan-European corridors. Over
80% of foreign-investment enterprises are
concentrated in this region, which can serve
to attract more foreign investments in the
most productive sectors of the economy.
Approximately 65% of the companies which
have more than 50 employees operate in such
region. Territorial planning and development,
sectorial and local plans for sustainable
development and particularly projects
aiming at integrating with the international
development corridors, are essential
instruments to convert Tirana-Durres into a
main economic centre, but not only.
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