TIRANA, July 2 /ATA/ Around 36% of businesses in Albania report currently having a loan to repay, marking a 2‑percentage‑point increase compared with the previous six months and a slight year‑on‑year decline, according to the Bank of Albania’s survey on corporate finances and borrowing for the second half of 2025.

According to the report, the increase in the share of borrowing enterprises has been driven mainly by medium and large companies, while small businesses have recorded a decline in this indicator.

The data show that the construction sector continues to have the highest share of borrowing enterprises, at 43%, while the services sector presents the lowest level, at 26%.

The report highlights that 92% of borrowing enterprises rely on formal sources of financing, mainly from the banking sector, while 8% combine formal and informal financing.

According to the Bank of Albania, borrowing has been used primarily for long‑term investments (around 50%) and for covering operating expenses (44%).

Likewise, about 84% of enterprises consider the current level of borrowing appropriate for financing their activity, while the average loan‑to‑equity ratio stands at 77.6%.

The Bank of Albania assesses that the relationship between businesses and banks remains “important and indispensable,” while the borrowing‑planning index for the first half of 2026 has recorded an increase./sm/