Albania registered 11,567 new business entities in the first half of 2026, up 7.5% year on year, the National Business Center (NBC) said on July 23.

The increase of 806 registrations comes as Albania courts foreign capital ahead of its target date for European Union accession, with Tirana pushing tourism, property and logistics as the main draws for external investors. Companies with 100% foreign ownership rose 35.7% y/y to 1,240, the sharpest advance among ownership categories.

Domestic investors still dominate. A total of 10,179 entities were registered with entirely Albanian capital during the six months.

Sole proprietorships remained the most common legal form, accounting for 8,757 registrations, or 75.7% of the total. Limited liability companies followed with 2,775.

Tirana took 6,039 new registrations, 52.2% of the national total. Vlora ranked second with 1,347, ahead of Durrës on 1,310. The NBC also recorded increases across the northern counties of Lezhë, Shkodër, Dibër and Kukës.

Wholesale and retail trade attracted the largest number of new businesses at 2,771 registrations. Accommodation and food services, professional activities, transportation, and information and communication were among the other active sectors.

Real estate posted the strongest sectoral growth, with new registrations up 35.8% y/y. Transportation and storage followed with growth of 26.3%.

The NBC registered 897 licences and 124 permits in the National Registry of Permits, Licenses and Authorizations over the period. A further 2,813 entities were entered in the Registry of Beneficial Owners, an increase of 7.1% on the first half of 2025.