Instituti i Statistikës

INSTAT (Instituti i Statistikës) is Albania's national statistical office, responsible for the collection, processing, analysis and dissemination of official statistics. It conducts the periodic population and housing census, as well as regular surveys on demographics, labour market, agriculture, industry, trade and social conditions. The data produced support government policy‑making, economic planning, academic research and inform the private sector and international organisations. INSTAT also maintains statistical databases and publishes regular releases such as the monthly statistical bulletin, quarterly national accounts and annual demographic reports. Its mandate is defined by national statistics law, which requires impartiality, transparency and adherence to international statistical standards.

As the sole producer of official statistics in Albania, INSTAT holds a distinctive regulatory role, ensuring that all government entities receive comparable and reliable data for decision‑making. The institute’s expertise lies in methodological design of surveys, microdata processing and the application of European Statistical System (ESS) guidelines, which facilitates Albania’s integration with Eurostat and other international statistical networks. Structurally, INSTAT operates as a public institution under the authority of the Albanian Council of Ministers, reporting directly to the Prime Minister’s office and receiving its budget from the state treasury. The cyber incident of 31 January 2024, in which some systems were temporarily disconnected while recent census data remained secure, highlighted the institute’s critical infrastructure status and prompted a coordinated response with national authorities and international partners to restore services and strengthen cyber‑resilience. The attack prompted the institute to activate its emergency protocols, isolate affected networks and work with the National Authority for Electronic Certification and Cyber Security to investigate the origin and mitigate further risk.