Euro hits new historical low - Ends the week at 95.24 lekë. More pressure expected during the summer
The euro has continued its downward trend in the domestic foreign exchange market, closing the week at a historic low of 95.24 lek. According to official data from the Bank of Albania, the European currency has continuously lost ground this year, while the downward trend has accelerated on the eve of the summer season.
The exchange rate chart shows that since the beginning of the year, the euro has depreciated by more than 1.3 lekë, falling from levels close to 96.6 lekë at the beginning of January to only 95.24 lekë in the week just ended. Compared to the same period a year ago, the euro has depreciated by about 3%.
This decline comes at a time when Albania is entering the tourist season, a period that is traditionally associated with significant foreign currency flows into the economy. The high number of tourists, together with remittances and Foreign Direct Investment, is expected to increase the supply of the euro in the market, exerting further pressure. Under these conditions, the possibility of the euro testing even lower levels than the current record cannot be ruled out.
The Bank of Albania is regularly intervening in the foreign exchange market this year as well, in order to curb the pace of the Euro's depreciation. Information on the interventions in the foreign exchange market during 2026 has not yet been made public, but looking at the figures of the last two years, it can be assumed that the central bank is continuing to withdraw significant amounts of currency from the market. In the last two years, the Bank of Albania has purchased around 1 billion euros, in each year, in an attempt to prevent the further decline of the Euro.
The depreciation of the European currency continues to create challenges for exporters and other sectors that operate in euros, as their income converted into lek is reduced. With the tourist season just starting and expectations for a record number of visitors during the summer, the foreign exchange market remains under scrutiny, while many operators expect the euro to continue its downward trajectory in the coming weeks and months.
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