In recent decades, life expectancy in Albania has increased significantly, reaching the highest regional levels, but different cities of the country show large differences. According to INSTAT data, in 2019, the region with the highest life expectancy at birth for men was that of Tirana, with 80.6 years, while the region with the lowest life expectancy was that of Gjirokastra, with 73.5 years. 

In the same year, the region with the highest life expectancy for women was that of Tirana, with 84.4 years, while the region with the lowest life expectancy index was that of Berat. After Tirana, Durrës, Elbasan and Lezha have the longest life expectancy for both women and men. While Gjirokastra, Korça, Shkodra and Berat have the lowest life expectancy for both sexes in relation to the national average. 

In 2019, life expectancy at birth in Albania for the entire population was 79.0 years. It was 77.6 years for men and 80.6 years for women. This means that women are expected to live about 3 years longer than men. According to data from the World Bank from 1961 to 2015, the average life expectancy of Albanians from 62.3 years reached 78 years. Only in the transition period has life expectancy increased by 6 years. 

Some evidence from the WHO (Health for All) database shows that the mortality from lung cancer in Albania in the 1980s was much lower than in most other European countries. The difference between men and women in life expectancy in Eastern European countries is strongly influenced by changes in risk factors, mainly smoking, alcohol abuse and road traffic accidents. 

INSTAT predicts that by the end of 2030 the average life expectancy for Albanian men will be 80 years and for women 83.5 years. All three INSTAT hypotheses project an increase in life expectancy at birth, but at different rates according to the variants. Men's life expectancy is already at high levels (77.7 in 2019) so its growth rate is projected to be lower than that of women.

(Source: Monitor)