Albanians opting for the service sector as a more lucrative way to do business

After more than three decades since the fall of the communist regime, cafes, restaurants and grocery stores were among those types of business activities that Albanians chose the most. With almost 19 thousand bars and restaurants, Albania became the number one country in the world per capita.

However, a new trend which started during the pandemic and which continues today, shows that Albanian entrepreneurs are no longer choosing these types of activities but rather opting for services.

In the capital Tirana alone, at the beginning of April, there were around 22,613 businesses offering services and services saw the biggest growth compared to other categories of business activities. These types of businesses include travel agents, real estate agencies, gyms, dry cleaning, repair shops, etc.

On the other hand, in 2022, bars, restaurants and grocery stores recorded the lowest number in the past 10 years with less than two thousand such businesses registered for the first time. In 2016, this number was 5200.

In the past few years, the capital is also seeing more construction companies, more freelance professionals, dentists, notaries and more businesses operating in the sector of transport.