In 2022, the Direct Budget Institutions are expected to employ 84 214 (eighty four thousand two hundred and fourteen) people. This is 450 more employees than in 2021. Employees in budgetary institutions include only institutions in which staff costs are covered by State Budget funds. This does not include: Central Bank, or other public sector structures such as state-owned financial and non-financial enterprises, Special Funds or other extra-budgetary structures that depend on their own revenues. In 2022, there are 65 budget institutions which represent public institutions, such as: the President’s Office, the Parliament, the Government, the Justice System and the Constitutional Court. As part of the Government are: the Prime Minister’s Office, 11 ministries and other government institutions.
Source: MFE (2022)
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania
Source: MFE (2022)
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania
Employees in non-portfolio ministries are included in the prime minister’s office, i.e. four: Minister of State for Service Standards; Minister of State for Youth and Children; Minister of State for Entrepreneurship Protection and Minister of State for Relations with Parliament.
Three new institutions plan staffing and budget costs in 2022. Specifically the National Youth Agency with 20 staff members; The State Agency for Strategic Planning and Aid Coordination which is planned to have 73 employees and the Agency for Media and Information with 69 budget employees. Also in 2022, according to the plan to hire, it turns out that four institutions have been closed as employees are not planned in structures such as: Agency for Diaspora; Center for Studies and Publications for the Arbëresh; Diaspora Publishing Center and Special Unit Anti-Corruption and Anti-Evasion, meaning that these institutions have been merged and functions transferred to other institutions.
Source: MFE (2022)
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania
The largest budgetary institutions are the ministries, which in addition to the ministerial apparatus include the number of employees in subordinate institutions. The Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth has the highest number of employees, respectively 37% of employees in budgetary institutions or 30,990. In second place the Ministry of Interior with 15 109 employees or 18% of budget employees. Among the main programs of this institution is the provision of police service. It is followed by the Ministry of Defense with 8,863 employees or 11% of the total. The Ministry of Finance and Economy plans 5,983 employees or 7% of the total. The Ministry of Justice results in almost the same positions as the Ministry of Finance with over 5 thousand employees or 6% of the total. This is followed by ministries with less than 5 thousand employees, like the Ministry of Health with 4 313, the Ministry of Agriculture with 2 417 employees.
Source: MFE (2022)
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania
Compared to the budget year 2021, in 2022 the institutions with the highest increase in the number of employees are the institutions of justice.
Source: MFE (2022)
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania
Source: MFE (2022)
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania
The Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime SPAK or the National Bureau of Investigation, set up in 2019, results in the highest increase in the number of employees, respectively plus 77 for 2022 or 47% more compared to 2021. This increase comes from the consolidation of this institution being part of the structures set up for the new justice system in the framework of the reform.
The High Judicial Council (HJC) ranks second with the highest increase in the number of employees. In 2022 it is planned to have 50 more employees than in 2021 or 3% increase. Planning for this institution includes the administration of the HJC, the Information Technology Center and the Courts. The courts have planned a higher budget for 2022 salaries that may have resulted from staff increases.
The Ministry of Interior results in an increase plus 30 employees in 2022. The General Prosecutor’s Office and the Agency for Dialogue and Co-Government are 2 institutions that have also planned an increase of 30 more employees. In the case of the Agency this is a very high increase, respectively 71% increase compared to the 2021 plan, which is explained by the transfer of some additional functions.
Other ministries with a staff increase include: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, respectively with plus 22, 20 and 17 employees. These increases come as a result of additional functions transferred from previous institutions, specifically to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which now has three other government institutions such as: Center for Studies and Publications for Arbëresh, Center for Diaspora Publishing, Agency for Diaspora.
The Assembly and the Supreme State Audit result in an increase, plus 25 and 15 employees as a result of functional reorganizations. With the lowest increase in the number of employees are other institutions such as: Commissioner for Civil Service Oversight, People’s Advocate, School of Magistrates.
The decrease in the number of employees is marked by the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, which plans 21 fewer employees. The result for this change is the transfer of the National Youth Agency, which in 2021 has been part of the subordinate structures of this ministry, but in 2022 it will be subordinated to the Minister of State for Youth and Children, the latter as a minister without portfolio will have apparatus as part of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Considering two data of the State Budget according to the Institutions Salary Fund and Number of Employees, we are making an assessment on the declared average salary for budget staff. The same goes for the average salary according to the Institution, thus trying to understand which are the budget institutions with the best salary level.
If we make a simple calculation, the average salary of a budget employee, the declared salary results in 74 931 ALL. The salary fund we are taking as a reference includes the declared salary including work experience or payment according to specific contributions.
The average monthly salary in SPAK is estimated at around 241,000 ALL, in justice institutions such as the Independent Qualification Commission; Special Appellate College; The Public Commissioner and the Office of the High Inspector of Justice, the average monthly salary is around 190,000 ALL, followed by the Constitutional Court and the General Prosecutor’s Office on average about 150,000 ALL per month. The justice structures are followed by SAI, the Assembly, the Prime Minister’s Office the Public Procurement Commission, the President’s Office, the Accounting Council with average institutional monthly salaries over 100 thousand ALL. While the institutions with the lowest average salaries are under the Ministries of Justice, Health, Culture, Agriculture and lastly the Ministry of Defense with less than 64,000 ALL per month average salary.
Source: MFE (2022)
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania
The share of employees in budgetary institutions in relation to total employees in Albania marks 12.2% in 2021. Here we have not included employees in enterprises and state entities that are not directly budgetary.
Source: MFE (2022)
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania
Source: MFE (2022)
Comments and analysis: Open Data Albania
Although employees in budgetary institutions do not constitute all employment in the public sector, the dynamics of the ratio of budgetary employees to total employment in Albania illustrate the size of government.
Download excel: Budget Employees 2022 and Average Salaries by Budget InstitutionsComments and Analysis: Open Data Albania
Contributed by: Blerina Gjaci
Translated by: Etleva Kondakçi