Markets
Euro falls to 90.74 lek as the Bank of Albania records another all-time low
Wednesday's official rate slipped another 3 qindarka from the previous day, while the dollar traded at 80.86 lek.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 21, 2026, 13:00 · Updated 12:23 · 1 min read
In brief
- The Bank of Albania set the official euro rate on Wednesday at 90.74 lek, down from 90.77 a day earlier.
- The U.S. dollar fell 4 qindarka, to 80.86 lek.
- The average buying rate for the euro on the exchange market was 90.37 lek, while the average selling rate was 91.13 lek.
The European currency kept sliding against the lek on Wednesday, Oct. 21. According to the official rate published by the Bank of Albania, one euro was worth 90.74 lek, 3 qindarka less than a day earlier, when it had fallen below the 91-lek threshold for the first time, to 90.77.
At this level, the euro is at its lowest value against the Albanian currency since it entered circulation, extending a trend that has marked the exchange market throughout the year.
The dollar is falling too
The U.S. dollar also declined. Its official rate was set at 80.86 lek, down 4 qindarka from the previous day.
In the table of market averages, which the central bank publishes alongside the official rate, the euro was bought at an average of 90.37 lek and sold at 91.13 lek. For the dollar, the average buying rate was 80.37 lek and the selling rate 81.37 lek.
Who wins and who loses
A strong lek makes imports cheaper, as well as repaying euro loans for those who earn in lek. On the other hand, the pressure falls on exporters, garment subcontractors and tour operators, whose income is mostly in euros, as well as on families living on remittances from emigrants. For them, every qindarka off the exchange rate means fewer lek in their pockets.
The official rate for Thursday, Oct. 22, is expected to be published by the Bank of Albania during the morning.
The official rate serves as a reference for institutions, for business accounting and for many contracts, while banks and exchange offices set their own buying and selling rates around this level.
