The banking sector’s profit for the first nine months of the year has seen a slight increase compared to the previous year, driven primarily by the performance of the National Commercial Bank (BKT).

Unaudited data from commercial banks - prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and published by the Albanian Association of Banks - show that the sector’s net profit for the first nine months of 2025 reached Lek 27.4 billion, an increase of 5.3% compared to the same period last year.

However, this growth in sector-wide profit is largely attributable to the results of a single institution. BKT reported a net profit of Lek 9.25 billion for the nine months, marking a 48.6% increase over the previous year.

BKT’s profit expanded by approximately Lek 5 billion during the third quarter - a somewhat unusual figure. Sources from the bank indicate that this increase is linked to a dividend distribution from BKT-Kosova to its parent bank in Albania; consequently, it is not directly related to the bank’s operational activities within Albania. For other banks, the differences are generally smaller compared to the previous year. Out of the 12 banks that report data (the Ziraat Bank branch in Albania has not yet joined the Albanian Association of Banks), ten ended the year with a profit. Among the 11 banks that were also active last year (Jet Bank was licensed only this year), six experienced a decline in their financial results, while five saw an improvement.

Following BKT, Raiffeisen Bank ranks second in terms of profit, with a net result of Lek 58 billion - a decrease of 8.8% compared to the first nine months of the previous year.

Next is OTP Albania, with Lek 3 billion (17.3% less than in the same period a year earlier); Tirana Bank, with Lek 2.42 billion (16.3% more than a year earlier); and so on.