Elbasan County
Elbasan County (Albanian: Qarku i Elbasanit) is one of the twelve counties comprising the administrative divisions of Albania, positioned in the central region of the country. Its capital and largest city is Elbasan, situated along the Shkumbin River valley. The county covers an area of 3,199 square kilometers and, according to the 2023 national census, accounts for approximately 9.7% of Albania's total population, equating to around 233,000 residents.[1][2] Geographically, Elbasan County features a diverse landscape of rugged mountains, such as the Mali i Dajtit range to the west, interspersed with fertile plains and river corridors that facilitate agricultural production. The Shkumbin River, traversing the region, supports irrigation for crops and contributes to the area's biodiversity. Agriculture remains a cornerstone of the local economy, with significant arable land dedicated to grains, vegetables, and livestock; Elbasan ranks among Albania's top counties for agricultural acreage, encompassing over 72,000 hectares.[3][4] Industrially, the county is notable for its metallurgical and mining sectors, particularly chrome extraction and steel production centered in and around Elbasan city, which historically positioned the region as an economic hub during the communist era. The area's ancient heritage includes Illyrian settlements and Roman foundations, with Elbasan originating as the colony of Scampis before evolving into a key Ottoman stronghold featuring the well-preserved Elbasan Castle. These elements underscore Elbasan County's blend of natural resources, productive agriculture, and industrial capacity within Albania's developing economy.[5]
Geography
Location and Borders
Elbasan County lies in central Albania, positioned in the southeastern Balkan Peninsula and forming a key transitional zone between the coastal lowlands and interior mountains. Centered at approximately 41°00′N 20°10′E, it extends across varied landscapes including the Myzeqe Plain to the west and the rugged Skanderbeg Mountains to the north, with the Shkumbin River traversing its core. The county's capital, Elbasan, is strategically located about 40 kilometers southeast of Tirana, Albania's capital, facilitating its role as a historical and economic hub in the region.[3][6] The county is delimited by five neighboring Albanian administrative divisions, reflecting Albania's post-2015 regional structure. To the northwest, it adjoins Tirana County; northeast with Dibër County; southeast bordering Korçë County; south with Berat County; and southwest interfacing Fier County. These internal boundaries largely align with natural geographic markers, such as river courses like the Shkumbin and Devoll, and ridgelines of the central Albanian highlands, without any direct international frontiers. This central inland placement underscores Elbasan County's integration within Albania's national geography, emphasizing connectivity via major passes like the Krrabë Pass linking it to eastern and southern routes.[7][8]Topography and Natural Features
Elbasan County features a diverse topography dominated by hilly and mountainous terrain, particularly in its eastern regions, which transitions into fertile river valleys and lowlands toward the west. The landscape includes significant elevations, with the Shpati Mountain range hosting the county's highest peak, Maja e Bukanikut, at 1,823 meters above sea level.[9] This rugged eastern terrain contrasts with the broader Shkumbin River valley in the central area, facilitating agricultural productivity and settlement patterns.[10] The county is traversed by major rivers, including the Shkumbin, with a drainage basin of 2,511 km², flowing westward through municipalities such as Elbasan, Librazhd, and Peqin, and the Devoll, which crosses Gramsh.[10] These waterways, along with tributaries like Gostima and Rrapuni, contribute to the formation of alluvial plains and support groundwater resources, including karstic springs such as Krasta and Mengel. Natural vegetation zones reflect the altitudinal variation, encompassing shrublands at lower elevations, oak and alder forests on mid-slopes, and alpine pastures at higher altitudes.[10] Prominent natural features include karstic lakes, with 82 documented in the Dumre area, and glacial lakes within protected zones like Shebenik-Jabllanicë National Park, which spans parts of the county and preserves high-elevation cirques and biodiversity hotspots.[10] The Skanderbeg Mountains border the northern extent, influencing local microclimates and providing corridors for ecological connectivity across central Albania.[11]Hydrology and Climate
The hydrology of Elbasan County is primarily defined by the Shkumbin River, a major waterway spanning 181 kilometers that originates in the eastern mountainous areas and flows westward through the county toward the Adriatic Sea, supporting local water supply, irrigation, and potential hydroelectric generation.[12][13] The region exhibits robust groundwater dynamics, with aquifers providing significant contributions to urban water needs, such as Elbasan city's supply of approximately 1,000 liters per second drawn from local hydrogeological formations.[14][15] While Albania as a whole possesses abundant surface and subsurface water resources distributed across seven river basin districts, Elbasan County lacks major natural lakes, relying instead on the Shkumbin basin for its freshwater dynamics, though water quality in the river has been assessed as variable due to upstream influences and human activity.[16][12] Elbasan County's climate aligns with a hot-summer Mediterranean classification (Köppen Csa), featuring hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters, with annual temperatures averaging around 15°C and extremes ranging from lows of about 0°C in January to highs exceeding 33°C in July and August.[17][18] Precipitation totals approximately 982 mm annually, predominantly falling between October and April, with roughly 150 rainy days per year and minimal snowfall confined to higher elevations.[19][18] Topographic variations across the county, from lowland plains near Elbasan to eastern highlands, introduce microclimatic differences, including cooler temperatures and enhanced orographic rainfall in mountainous zones, though overall patterns reflect central Albania's transitional inland Mediterranean regime with less coastal moderation.[17][20]History
Antiquity and Early Settlements
The region encompassing modern Elbasan County exhibits evidence of human habitation dating to prehistoric periods, though systematic archaeological data remains limited. Late Neolithic settlements, potentially after 5000 BC, have been identified in broader Albanian contexts, with material culture suggesting early agricultural communities in river valleys like that of the Shkumbin, which bisects the county.[21] However, specific attestation for Elbasan County ties more firmly to the Bronze Age, where fragmented pottery and flint tools indicate proto-urban clusters influenced by Indo-European migrations. Illyrian tribes, part of the southern Illyrian ethnic groups, represent the earliest documented inhabitants of the Elbasan area, establishing permanent settlements by the 2nd century BC.[22] These groups, likely affiliated with tribes such as the Taulantii or Bylliones active in central Albania, constructed initial dwellings amid the fertile plains and strategic passes, exploiting the region's position along natural trade corridors.[23] In August 2010, excavations near the walls of Elbasan Castle uncovered two Illyrian graves containing burial goods consistent with 2nd–1st century BC practices, confirming pre-Roman occupation and ritual continuity.[24] By the 1st century AD, Roman expansion integrated the area into the province of Illyricum, with a formal settlement founded on the Shkumbin River banks as a mansio (road station) named Mansio Scampa or Skampis, deriving from Illyrian roots possibly meaning "place of residence."[25][23] Positioned along the Via Egnatia—a key Roman military and commercial artery linking Dyrrhachium (Durrës) to Thessaloniki—Skampis served as a fortified waypoint, evidenced by coin hoards, amphorae, and infrastructure remnants indicating a population of several hundred.[22] Nearby sites, such as Ad Quintum in Bradashesh (6 km east), preserved road markers and traces of the ancient town of Ganusium, underscoring the county's role in early imperial logistics and cultural syncretism between Illyrian and Roman elements.[26] Archaeological surveys reveal no major urban centers predating this era, but rural villas and necropoleis suggest a dispersed agrarian economy supporting legionary movements.[27]Medieval and Ottoman Eras
During the medieval period, after the permanent division of the Roman Empire in 395 AD, the Elbasan region came under the control of the Byzantine Empire, with the ancient settlement of Scampis retaining importance as a fortified station along the Via Egnatia road. Byzantine authorities expanded the existing Roman defenses, transforming it into a key defensive and transit point amid regional instability from Slavic migrations and invasions. Evidence from archaeological excavations, including remnants of early Christian basilicas, points to a Christian-majority population that persisted through the early Middle Ages, underscoring Elbasan's role in Byzantine ecclesiastical networks despite broader territorial shifts involving Bulgarian and later Serbian overlords in the 13th and 14th centuries.[28][29] The onset of Ottoman dominance began in the mid-15th century, as Sultan Mehmed II ordered the construction of the Elbasan Fortress in 1466 on the ruins of Scampis, establishing it as a strategic military outpost to support campaigns against Albanian resistance led by Gjergj Kastrioti, known as Skanderbeg. Skanderbeg mounted offensives against the nascent fortress, including raids that inflicted heavy losses on Ottoman forces in 1467, but failed to seize it, allowing the Ottomans to consolidate control over central Albania.[30][31] Throughout the Ottoman era, from the late 15th to early 20th centuries, Elbasan evolved into a prominent sanjak center for administration, trade, and artisanal production, leveraging its position at the crossroads of Balkan routes to facilitate commerce in goods like textiles and metals. The fortress, initially a bulwark against rebellion, later housed mosques, baths, and bazaars, reflecting Islamic architectural influences amid gradual Islamization of the populace. By the 19th century, Elbasan had become a hub of Albanian cultural and nationalist stirrings, with local intellectuals contributing to early independence movements against Ottoman rule, though the fortress walls were partially dismantled in 1832 following regional uprisings.[32][30]19th-20th Century Developments
During the 19th century, Elbasan operated as the center of the Ottoman Sanjak of Elbasan, an administrative district that was reorganized into the Monastir Vilayet in 1864 as part of Tanzimat reforms aimed at centralizing control and improving provincial governance. The city's fortress, originally constructed in the 15th century for military purposes, was largely dismantled in 1832 by Grand Vizier Reshid Mehmed Pasha to adapt Ottoman defenses to modern artillery and reduce maintenance costs, though remnants persisted as symbols of imperial presence. Economically, Elbasan thrived as a nexus for trade and artisanal production, including textiles, metals, and agriculture, facilitated by its position on caravan routes connecting the Adriatic coast to inland Balkans. Religiously, the population at the century's end featured a Muslim majority alongside Christian Orthodox and Catholic minorities, with Ottoman policies enforcing coexistence but favoring Islamic institutions.[33][34][35] As Albanian nationalist stirrings intensified under Ottoman rule, Elbasan hosted key cultural assemblies, such as the 1909 Congress organized by local patriots to promote Albanian-language education and standardize orthography, countering imperial restrictions on native schooling that prioritized Turkish and Arabic. This event underscored the region's role in the Rilindja Kombëtare, where intellectuals advocated linguistic unification to preserve ethnic identity amid Ottoman assimilation efforts. During the First Balkan War (1912–1913), Serbian troops captured Elbasan on November 13, 1912, as part of advances into Albanian-inhabited territories, prompting local resistance and contributing to the broader Albanian declaration of independence on November 28, 1912, in Vlorë, though effective control remained contested.[36][37] World War I brought repeated foreign occupations to Elbasan, beginning with Serbian forces in 1912, followed by Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian incursions in January 1916, which divided the region into occupation zones and exploited local resources for the Central Powers' logistics. Under Austro-Hungarian administration, Albanian elites in Elbasan formed provisional bodies, including a Council of Elders in eastern areas, to manage affairs and assert limited autonomy, with figures like Ahmet Zogu influencing pro-Central alignments before shifting allegiances. In the interwar era (1920s–1930s), Elbasan benefited from King Zog I's centralizing reforms after Albania's 1928 monarchical declaration, seeing investments in roads, schools, and administrative infrastructure that boosted population growth from approximately 13,000 in 1923 to over 15,000 by 1930, though economic progress lagged due to rural agrarian dominance and limited industrialization. By the late 1930s, Italian economic penetration via loans and concessions increasingly shaped the county's trajectory, setting the stage for wartime disruptions.[38][39]Communist Period and Post-1991 Reforms
During Albania's communist era (1944–1991), Elbasan County experienced aggressive industrialization as part of the regime's drive for economic self-sufficiency, transforming Elbasan city into the nation's leading heavy industry center. The flagship Metallurgical Complex (Kombinat Metalurgjik) began construction in 1965 with Chinese aid after Albania's split from the Soviet bloc, expanding in the 1970s to include pig-iron furnaces, steel mills, ferrochrome, nickel-cobalt processing, coke ovens, and cement production across roughly 460 km².[40] This facility, employing up to 12,000 workers by the 1980s, produced metals for national infrastructure, including bunkers, and reduced import reliance on steel products like round rods.[41] Complementary sectors, such as the Cërrik oil refinery, ferrochrome plants, cement factories (with 1,617 employees in 1966), hydroelectric facilities, and armaments works, drove regional output, contributing over 40% to national industrial income by 1985 and fueling mineral exports that accounted for about 75% of Albania's total.[41] Industrial expansion spurred urbanization and employment migration, boosting Elbasan's population from 29,800 in 1960 to 83,300 by 1990, with production volumes surging—such as a 3.9-fold increase overall from 1960 to 1975, including 21-fold growth in copper processing.[41] However, operations prioritized output over safety or ecology, with unfiltered chimneys up to 220 meters tall emitting smoke, ash, and heavy metals like nickel and cobalt, contaminating soil to depths of 32 cm and rendering central areas unsuitable for agriculture.[42] This legacy included elevated respiratory diseases (87 deaths in 2002, including 21 infants) and tumors (200 deaths that year), disproportionately affecting locals compared to national averages.[42] Post-1991 reforms dismantled the command economy through privatization and market liberalization, but Elbasan County's heavy industry faced rapid deindustrialization amid technological obsolescence and funding shortages. The August 1991 Privatization Law enabled asset transfers, with the Metallurgical Complex partially acquired by a Turkish firm and the cement factory by Lebanese investors in the early 1990s, though many units like the ferrochrome plant and Cërrik refinery shuttered outright.[41] Workforce levels plummeted from 10,000–12,000 to around 1,000 by the 2020s, exacerbated by the 1997 pyramid scheme crisis that triggered nationwide anarchy, including looting and destruction of Elbasan's armaments factory.[43] [41] Agricultural reforms via July 1991's Law 7501 redistributed collectivized land to pre-1945 owners, fostering smallholder farming in rural county areas but yielding fragmented plots and import dependency. Environmental remediation lagged, leaving 1.5–2 million tonnes of untreated hazardous waste; soil, water, and air exceed EU metal limits by threefold or more, correlating with persistent cancers, birth defects, and livestock mutations, despite assessments by the World Bank and UN agencies.[44][43] [42] Government responses have been minimal, with self-monitored factory emissions and stalled waste management as of 2025.[43]Administration and Governance
Administrative Divisions
Elbasan County is administratively divided into seven municipalities, a structure established by Albania's 2015 territorial and administrative reform, which consolidated smaller communes into larger units to enhance governance efficiency and service delivery.[45] These municipalities are Belsh, Cërrik, Elbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd, Peqin, and Prrenjas.[46] The reform reduced the total number of first-level local governments across Albania from 373 to 61 municipalities, with Elbasan County's configuration reflecting this nationwide consolidation.[47] Each municipality encompasses multiple administrative units (njësi administrative) and villages, totaling 43 administrative units and 386 villages county-wide.[45] The Elbasan municipality, serving as the county seat, covers 872.03 km² and had a population of 205,892 as of recent local records.[48] This subdivision facilitates local decision-making, with municipalities handling responsibilities such as urban planning, public services, and economic development under oversight from the county council.[49]| Municipality | Key Notes |
|---|---|
| Belsh | Includes former rural communes; focuses on agricultural administration.[46] |
| Cërrik | Central lowland area with mixed urban-rural units.[46] |
| Elbasan | County capital; largest by area and population.[48] |
| Gramsh | Eastern mountainous region with dispersed villages.[46] |
| Librazhd | Includes mining-influenced administrative units.[46] |
| Peqin | Lowland municipality with historical settlements.[46] |
| Prrenjas | Features industrial and rural divisions.[46] |
Local Government Structure
The local government structure of Elbasan County operates within Albania's decentralized framework established by the 2015 territorial reform under Law No. 115/2014 "On Territorial Administrative Division, Local Borrowings and Administrative-Territorial Organization in Albania," which consolidated smaller units into larger municipalities while preserving counties as intermediate coordinating entities.[50] At the county level, authority is divided between the prefect and the regional council, with the former emphasizing state oversight and the latter focusing on inter-municipal coordination. This setup limits county powers to non-executive functions like strategic planning and legality checks, as municipalities hold primary service delivery responsibilities.[51] The prefect (prefekti), appointed by the President of Albania on the Prime Minister's proposal for a five-year term, serves as the central government's representative, monitoring compliance with national legislation, coordinating public order, and mediating disputes between local units and state agencies.[52] The position is non-partisan and focuses on administrative enforcement rather than policy-making, with the current prefect as of 2023 coordinating efforts in areas like civil emergencies and regional infrastructure alignment.[52] Prefects report to the Ministry of Interior and lack direct fiscal authority, relying on central allocations for oversight activities. The Regional Council (Këshilli i Qarkut) comprises delegates selected by the municipal councils of Elbasan's seven municipalities—Belsh, Cërrik, Elbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd, Peqin, and Prrenjas—typically proportional to each municipality's population and council representation, ensuring balanced input without direct public elections at the county level.[49] The council, chaired by a president elected from its members, approves the county's development strategy, allocates regional grants, and promotes cross-municipal projects such as transport and environmental initiatives, convening periodically to address shared challenges like rural depopulation.[53] Supporting this are specialized sectors for finance and human resources, land protection, economic development, infrastructure, and social services, which handle technical implementation under council directives.[53] This delegated model, reformed in 2015 to enhance efficiency, has faced critiques for insufficient autonomy, with councils often deferring to municipal priorities amid fiscal constraints from central transfers.[51]Political and Economic Governance Challenges
Elbasan County faces persistent challenges in political governance, including low public trust in local officials stemming from perceptions of entrenched corruption and inadequate enforcement of transparency laws. Surveys indicate widespread distrust, exacerbated by limited citizen participation in decision-making processes and weak implementation of right-to-information mechanisms.[54] Local authorities have responded with initiatives like integrity plans and digital platforms for engagement, but monitoring remains insufficient to rebuild confidence.[54] Decentralization reforms have introduced administrative confusion, with unclear divisions of competence between central and local entities, as seen in delays transferring public assets like utilities to Elbasan Municipality. Political influences have hindered transparent asset management, leading to fiscal strains from inherited debts and reduced central subsidies between 2009 and 2015.[55] These issues limit local leaders' capacity to handle expanded responsibilities, perpetuating inefficiencies in service delivery such as water and sewerage.[55] On the security front, Elbasan has grappled with political extremism, having been a key recruitment hotspot for individuals joining the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, often targeting unemployed youth.[56] The municipality established a Local Public Safety Council in 2016, involving police, religious leaders, and civil society to counter hate and polarization, aligned with national strategies.[56] However, building trust in these bodies remains difficult due to the sensitive nature of extremism discussions and underlying socioeconomic vulnerabilities.[56] Economic governance is undermined by systemic corruption, notably in waste management, where €140 million allocated for an Elbasan incinerator in 2017 disappeared through no-bid contracts and shell companies, leaving the facility unbuilt.[57] This has resulted in recurrent toxic landfill fires, causing respiratory health crises among residents and highlighting local authorities' resource shortages and impunity at higher levels.[57] Post-administrative mergers, financial transparency lags, with gaps in detailed public spending reporting despite online budget publications.[54] The legacy of the Elbasan metallurgical complex, a communist-era industrial hub, poses ongoing economic challenges through unremedied pollution from hundreds of thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste, burdening local governance with cleanup costs and deterring investment.[58] These failures reflect broader Albanian trends of judicial corruption and ineffective institutions, constraining sustainable economic development in the county.[59] Efforts to address them include 2025-2027 commitments for enhanced procurement monitoring and citizen oversight, though implementation risks persist amid political consolidation.[54][60]Demographics
Population Dynamics
The population of Elbasan County has experienced a sustained decline since the early 2010s, driven primarily by net out-migration and negative natural growth. According to the 2023 Population and Housing Census conducted by the Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), the county's resident population stood at 232,580 as of September 18, 2023, reflecting a decrease of 63,247 individuals—or approximately 21.4%—from the 295,827 recorded in the 2011 census.[61][47] This equates to an average annual population change of -2.0% between the two censuses, exceeding the national average decline of about 1.5% over the same period.[62] Key drivers include a persistent negative balance of births and deaths, compounded by emigration. In 2022, Elbasan County registered 2,185 births against 2,405 deaths, yielding a crude birth rate of 8.5 per 1,000 inhabitants and a crude death rate of 9.4 per 1,000, resulting in a natural growth rate of -0.9 per 1,000.[63] Net internal migration further exacerbated the downturn, with a rate of -5.0 per 1,000 in 2022, as residents moved to urban centers like Tirana for employment opportunities amid limited local prospects in agriculture and industry.[63][64] International emigration, particularly of working-age individuals, has also contributed, with Elbasan noted for one of the highest depopulation rates in Albania due to poverty and unemployment.[65] Urbanization within the county has partially offset rural depopulation but remains modest. Rural-to-urban migration has concentrated population in Elbasan city, which grew from around 79,000 in 2011 to 115,101 in 2023 despite overall county shrinkage, reflecting internal shifts toward perceived economic hubs.[66] However, the county's population density decreased to 72.7 inhabitants per km² by 2023, down from higher levels in 2011, underscoring broader rural abandonment linked to agricultural decline and industrial stagnation.[62] These dynamics have accelerated aging, with projections indicating a rising dependency ratio as youth out-migration outpaces retention efforts.| Year | Population | Annual Change Rate (approx.) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 295,827 | - | INSTAT Census[47] |
| 2019 | 268,160 | - | INSTAT Yearbook[63] |
| 2023 (Jan est.) | 252,719 | -0.9% (natural) + -5.0% (migration, 2022) | INSTAT Yearbook[63] |
| 2023 (Sep census) | 232,580 | -2.0% (2011-2023 avg.) | INSTAT Census[61] |
Ethnic and Linguistic Composition
Elbasan County exhibits a high degree of ethnic homogeneity, with Albanians comprising the overwhelming majority of the population. According to Albania's 2011 Population and Housing Census conducted by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), the county's resident population totaled 295,827, of which 253,170 individuals (85.6%) self-identified as ethnic Albanians.[67] This figure accounts for a notable non-response rate, with approximately 12.1% (35,810 persons) declining to specify their ethnicity and 1.4% (4,170) marking it as not relevant, potentially understating the Albanian share due to sensitivities around minority declarations in post-communist Albania.[67] Minorities remain marginal, reflecting the county's central geographic position away from border areas with larger ethnic clusters. The primary ethnic minorities include Roma (1,064 persons, 0.36%), Aromanians (747, 0.25%), Egyptians (433, 0.15%), Macedonians (94, 0.03%), and smaller groups such as Greeks (180, 0.06%) and Montenegrins (10).[67] These proportions align with broader patterns in central Albania, where historical migrations and assimilation have limited minority concentrations compared to southern (Greek) or eastern (Slavic) regions. Independent analyses of census data highlight potential undercounting of Roma and Egyptians due to stigma and mobility, though no adjusted estimates exceed 2-3% combined for all non-Albanians.[68]| Ethnic Group | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Albanians | 253,170 | 85.6% |
| Roma | 1,064 | 0.36% |
| Aromanians | 747 | 0.25% |
| Egyptians | 433 | 0.15% |
| Greeks | 180 | 0.06% |
| Macedonians | 94 | 0.03% |
| Other | 149 | 0.05% |
| Non-response/Not stated | 40,000 (approx.) | 13.5% (approx.) |
Religious Affiliations
According to the 2023 Albanian census conducted by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), the population of Elbasan County totals 232,580 residents, with religious affiliations self-declared as follows: Muslims comprise the largest group at 123,133 individuals (approximately 52.9%), followed by Eastern Orthodox Christians at 12,140 (5.2%), believers without specific denomination at 40,747 (17.5%), those preferring not to answer at 23,862 (10.3%), atheists at 10,167 (4.4%), Bektashi Muslims at 3,186 (1.4%), Roman Catholics at 1,617 (0.7%), Evangelicals at 679 (0.3%), and other faiths at 188 (0.08%), with 16,861 (7.2%) not available or unspecified.[69] These figures reflect a pattern of secularization influenced by the 1967-1991 state atheism under communist rule, which suppressed religious practice and led to widespread disaffiliation, though Albania's constitution guarantees freedom of religion since 1991.[70]| Religious Category | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Muslim | 123,133 | 52.9% |
| Eastern Orthodox | 12,140 | 5.2% |
| Believers without denomination | 40,747 | 17.5% |
| Prefer not to answer | 23,862 | 10.3% |
| Atheist | 10,167 | 4.4% |
| Bektashi | 3,186 | 1.4% |
| Roman Catholic | 1,617 | 0.7% |
| Evangelical | 679 | 0.3% |
| Other religions | 188 | 0.08% |
| Not available | 16,861 | 7.2% |
Economy
Industrial Base and Heavy Industry
Elbasan County's industrial base originated in the communist era, with the establishment of the Metallurgical Complex (Kombinati Metalurgjik) in 1965 as a cornerstone of Albania's heavy industry push, aided by Chinese technical assistance starting in 1966.[71] [72] This facility, spanning approximately 747,143 square meters, focused on iron and steel production, metal processing, and ferroalloys, employing up to 12,000 workers at its peak and supplying raw materials across Albania's economy.[73] [74] A complementary cement factory, operational by the late 1960s, bolstered the sector by producing the highest cement output in Albania during that period, supporting construction for further industrialization.[75] Post-1991, the collapse of state socialism led to sharp declines in heavy industry output, with much of the Metallurgical Complex abandoned and repurposed piecemeal, leaving behind severe environmental contamination from hundreds of thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste, including heavy metals and slag, making it one of the Balkans' most polluted sites.[43] Kurum International's Elbasan steel plant, operational since 1998 as Albania's sole active iron complex, utilized electric arc furnaces for rebar production but suspended output in August 2024 due to financial strains from falling international steel prices and high energy costs.[76] [77] Despite these setbacks, remnant operations within the broader complex, including metal processing, generate an estimated annual turnover of 1 billion euros as of 2025.[78] Recent government initiatives aim to revitalize the area, with Prime Minister Edi Rama proposing in March 2025 to convert portions of the former Metallurgical Complex into a museum of industrial heritage and an innovation hub, while pledging modernization of the site by 2030 to attract investment and mitigate pollution.[71] These efforts reflect ongoing challenges in transitioning from legacy heavy industry—marked by inefficiency and environmental degradation—to sustainable economic models, though persistent financial and infrastructural hurdles limit short-term recovery.[72]Agriculture and Rural Economy
Agriculture forms the backbone of Elbasan County's rural economy, accounting for 38.98% of the prefecture's gross value added in 2021, compared to the national average of 21.11%. The sector employs a significant portion of the rural population across 10,262 registered farms, emphasizing smallholder operations on fragmented plots.[63][4] Field crop cultivation dominates, with 47.9 thousand hectares sown in 2022, representing 11.5% of Albania's total sown area for such crops. Cereals lead production at 95.4 thousand tonnes, including 35.5 thousand tonnes of wheat (yield: 46.5 quintals per hectare) and 54.2 thousand tonnes of maize (yield: 62.4 quintals per hectare). Potatoes output reached 30.2 thousand tonnes, while vegetables totaled 109.9 thousand tonnes from 2.6 thousand hectares, reflecting a 29.9% growth from 2017 to 2022. Permanent crops contribute further, with olives yielding 27.5 thousand tonnes from 6.8 thousand hectares and grapes 31.2 thousand tonnes from 1.5 thousand hectares; fruit trees added 41.6 thousand tonnes overall.[63][79]| Crop Category | Production (thousand tonnes, 2022) | Sown Area (thousand ha) |
|---|---|---|
| Cereals (total) | 95.4 | N/A |
| Wheat | 35.5 | N/A |
| Maize | 54.2 | N/A |
| Potatoes | 30.2 | N/A |
| Vegetables | 109.9 | 2.6 |
| Olives | 27.5 | 6.8 |
| Grapes | 31.2 | 1.5 |
| Fruit Trees | 41.6 | N/A[63] |
| Livestock Type | Heads (2022) | Milk-Producing Heads |
|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 26,000 | 22,000 |
| Sheep | 102,000 | 78,000 |
| Goats | 65,000 | 53,000 |
| Pigs | 5,000 | N/A |
| Poultry | 866,000 | N/A[63] |