During 2018, 47,400 Albanians became citizens of Greece, Italy, or one of the other 25 EU Member States.
About 24 thousand (51%) received Greek citizenship, whereas 22 thousand (46%) received Italian citizenship.
According to Eurostat data, in 2018, Albanians were the second most numerous ethnicity to receive EU citizenship, after Moroccans.
Nonetheless, the total number of Albanians receiving EU citizenship fell by 15% compared to 2017, when 58,500 became EU citizens. This may be explained in part by the fact that UK data is not included in the Eurostat report, following Brexit.
A total of 106,000 Albanians became citizens of a EU Member State over two years, 2017 and 2018.
However, the total number of Albanians who became citizens of another country is even greater when one takes into account Albanians receiving American and Canadian citizenship.
Though almost all of those who receive citizenship have emigrated many years ago and are permanent residents in their host countries, receiving a foreign citizenship makes their departure from Albania final.
Albania remains one of the countries with the highest migration rates in the world.
