Markets
Bank of Albania sets euro at 90.83 lek; dollar slips to 81.53
Thursday's official rate keeps the European currency close to October's record lows, while the US dollar loses 10 qintars on the day.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 29, 2026, 12:30 · Updated 18:43 · 1 min read
In brief
- The Bank of Albania fixed the euro at 90.83 lek, just one qintar lower than the previous day.
- The US dollar fell by 0.10 lek to 81.53, while the British pound and the Swiss franc strengthened.
- The euro remains slightly above the record low of 90.74 lek the central bank set on Oct. 21.
The Bank of Albania published its official exchange rate on Thursday, valuing the euro at 90.83 lek. The change from the previous day is a drop of just one qintar, but the figure keeps the single European currency in the lowest range ever recorded against the lek.
The central bank's table was updated shortly after 12:14 p.m. At the same time, the US dollar was quoted at 81.53 lek, down 0.10 lek on the day.
Pound and franc move the other way
Not all major currencies weakened. The British pound rose 0.17 lek to 108.61 lek, while the Swiss franc added 0.06 lek and was fixed at 98.42. The Canadian dollar also strengthened by 0.19 lek, to 58.27. In the opposite direction, 100 Japanese yen fell 0.13 lek, to 51.59.
On the interbank market, according to averages published by the Bank of Albania, the euro was bought on average at 90.47 lek and sold at 91.17 lek. For the dollar, quotes were 81.05 bid and 81.99 ask.
Close to the record low
October has been a month of records for the lek's appreciation. On Oct. 20 the euro fell below 91 lek for the first time, and a day later the Bank of Albania recorded the all-time low of 90.74 lek. Thursday's rate is only nine qintars above that level.
For families receiving remittances in euros and for exporters selling abroad, this means fewer lek for every euro earned. For importers and for those with loans in foreign currency, the low rate eases the cost in lek.
