Moody's affirms Albania's "Ba3" rating with stable outlook

TIRANA, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The international credit rating agency Moody's has affirmed Albania's sovereign credit rating at "Ba3" with a stable outlook, local media outlet ABC News Albania reported on Saturday.

According to Moody's latest report, Albania's economy remains broadly stable. The agency forecasts the country's gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 3.6 percent in 2025 and 3.5 percent in 2026.

Economic growth is expected to be driven mainly by the tourism sector, steady inflows of foreign direct investment, particularly in energy and tourism, and higher participation in the labor market.

Data cited in the report showed Albania received more than half a million foreign visitors in January alone, while the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent by the end of 2025.

Moody's also projected Albania's debt-to-GDP ratio will continue to decline, reaching around 51 percent in 2027 from an estimated 52.6 percent in 2025, supported by economic growth and prudent fiscal policies.

In fiscal terms, the agency noted that budget implementation in 2025 remained cautious. Moody's estimated the fiscal deficit at 1.8 percent of GDP in 2025, up from 0.7 percent in 2024 but still below the government's target of 2.4 percent.

Moody's expects reforms related to the country's accession process to the European Union to continue gradually, while liquidity risks in the government and banking sector remain contained. ■