Albania’s car fleet tops 1 million

TIRANA, Aug 9 — Albania now has more than 1 million vehicles on the road — roughly one for every two residents — as car ownership climbs, data from statistics agency INSTAT show.

Passenger cars make up 81% of the fleet, followed by mixed-use vehicles and motorcycles at 5.9% each. In Q2 alone, 27,000 vehicles were registered for the first time, 81% of them cars.

The total fleet is up 9.6% year on year, outpacing road capacity and adding to congestion in urban areas. Growth is driven mainly by private cars rather than public transport.

The capital, Tirana, accounts for about 35% of vehicles; the main port city, Durrës, holds 13.6%. Officials say the trend underscores pressure on traffic management, parking and air quality as ownership continues to rise.