Despite being a geographically large nation, the structure of municipalities across Albania reveals that only six areas are classified as formal “cities.” An analysis of settlement structure, derived from the Final Report on the Administrative-Territorial Reform 2.0, utilized the DEGURBA methodology alongside 2023 Census data to assess urbanization across the country’s administrative units. The report highlights significant variation in urban development among the municipalities. Kamza leads the urbanization metrics, reporting that 99% of its population resides in settlements meeting urban criteria.
Tirana follows as the second most urbanized area with 93.2%, while Durrës ranks third at 84.5%. Conversely, the data indicates that a substantial number of municipalities do not possess an urban core large enough to meet established international classification standards, with many falling short of a 5,000 inhabitant threshold. Beyond the top three, Vlorë exhibits the next highest rate of urbanization at 81%.
Sarandë follows closely with 78.6%, and Gjirokastër reports an urbanization rate of 76%. This ranking provides a detailed measure of the current settlement structure, illustrating the degree to which populations in different parts of Albania are concentrated in formally defined urban centers versus more dispersed settlements.
Topics: #albania #large #municipalities
