Although there is almost always a lot of traffic in Tirana and on some main connecting roads of the country, such as Tirana-Durrës or Milot-Fushë Krujë, the congestion does not seem to come much from the high number of vehicles.

Latest INSTAT data in the Regional Statistical Yearbook show that Albania is the country in Europe that has the fewest vehicles in relation to the population, along with Kosovo.  The data on the level of motorization show that in 2019, the country had about 190 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants, out of 520 vehicles, which is the average of the European Union.

Kosovo is at similar levels to Albania, with about 180 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants.  Montenegro has the highest level of motorization in the region, with 320 vehicles per thousand inhabitants, followed by Serbia (about 300), Bosnia Herzegovina (270), North Macedonia (200).  The data refers to the year 2019.

Durrës, the district with the most vehicles

In the coastal city of Durrës, it is very difficult to find parking, while the traffic gets heavier in the summer and during the end-of-year holidays.  The County of Durrës holds the record for the highest number of vehicles in relation to the population.  According to INSTAT, in this district there are 279 vehicles per thousand inhabitants.

In second place is Lezha, with 258 vehicles, followed by Gjirokastra with 237.

In the capital, although almost a third of the population is concentrated, the motorization rate is the fourth highest, with 230 vehicles per thousand inhabitants.

The number of vehicles is constantly increasing

According to INSTAT, in 2021, the total number of road vehicles with "active" and "temporarily unregistered" status is 740,669 vehicles, from 676,811 vehicles registered until 2020, increasing by 9.4%.

Of the road vehicles by type, the largest percentage to the total number of road vehicles is occupied by "Cars" (80.1%), "Vehicles for mixed transport" (6.7%) and "Motor" (5.1%  ),

In 2021, the number of passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants is 212 compared to 190 in 2020, increasing by 11%.

According to the data of the General Directorate of Road Transport Services (DPSHTRR), for the 10th month of 2022, a total of 54 thousand vehicles were registered, of which 44 thousand were cars.

51% of the registered funds came from Germany and Italy (about 13-14 thousand each).

Benz is no longer the favorite

In the total stock of vehicles in the country, Mercedes Benz continues to be dominant.  According to other NSTAT data, referring to the end of 2021, among the main brands of cars circulating in the country, the "Mercedez Benz" brand dominates (18.2%), followed by "Volkswagen" (17.5%).  ) and "Daimler Chrysler" (10.9%).

But, in recent years, the preference seems to have shifted to more economical means.  According to DPSHTRR data, for the 10th month of 2022, about 23% of the vehicles registered in the country were of the Volkswagen brand.  Benz Mercedes has moved into second place, with 17%, followed by Audi with 9.4%, Ford with 7.4% and Toyota with 7.3%.

Older vehicles continue to dominate, with 52% of newly registered cars in the 10th month of 2022 being manufactured between 2005 and 2009.

(Source: Monitor)