From: Exit News
Albania Raises Salaries for Armed Forces by 30%

The salaries of the Albanian Armed Forces will increase by 30% starting 1 July, according to Minister of the Interior, Niko Peleshi.

“All military personnel, from the lowest ranked soldier to the highest ranked general, starting 1 July, based on the decision of the Council of Ministers, will see a 30 percent increase in salary. The minimum wage in the Armed Forces will be over 51,000 lek (€426), in addition to food stamps and other types of support based on need,” Peleshi said.

Currently, the general minimum wage in Albania is set at €240, with the last increase approved in October 2020.

According to the National Statistics Institute, the average salary in Albania during the first quarter of 2022 was 59,242 ALL (€493.510) an increase of 5.8% when compared with Q1 2021. However, such increases were less than inflation which has surpassed 6%, leaving thousands of Albanians in a lurch.

With inflation at the highest level in 20 years, the wage increase is nominal as food inflation reaches almost 30% for certain items with fuel not far behind.