State of Culture in Albania 2025 · Municipal profiles · Artivista Center (Qendra Artivista)
This profile is based on information provided by the Municipality of Konispol in reply to Artivista's request for information on culture (2026), the municipality's medium term budget plans (PBA), and INSTAT's 2023 Population and Housing Census. Amounts are in Albanian lek.
At a glance
| Region (qark) | Vlorë |
| Administrative units | 3: Konispol, Xarrë, Markat |
| Area | 221.88 km² |
| Population, 2023 Census | 4,898 (about 22 residents per km²); 40.6% fewer than in 2011 |
| Residents aged 65 and over | 26.5% (national average 19.7%) |
| Culture budget (reply) | From 900,000 lek in 2020 to 3,000,000 lek in 2024 and 2,000,000 lek in 2025 |
| Staff | 1 person, paid from the administration budget |
| Main event | “Sofra Konispolate”, 2024 and 2026 |
Summary
Konispol, at the southern tip of Albania on the border with Greece, lost 40.6% of its population between the two censuses, one of the steepest declines in this series. Today it has 4,898 residents, and more than one in four is aged 65 or over.
Culture is the work of a single staff member, paid from the administration budget. The municipality reports between 0.9 and 3 million lek a year for its culture programme, which covers only operating costs, and says that many other cultural payments are made from other budget programmes. Its own budget plan, however, shows no spending on the culture programme in 2023 and 2024.
The programme centres on commemorations of historical figures and dates. Its main event, “Sofra Konispolate”, brought together dances and songs from many regions in 2024, with the support of the Vlorë Regional Council, and was held again in May 2026. No heritage works were carried out in the period.
1. Governance and institutions
Konispol has no cultural institution of its own. One member of staff is responsible for culture and is paid from the administration budget programme, not from the culture programme.
2. Funding
The reply gives the following amounts for the culture programme, which covers operating costs only: 900,000 lek in 2020, 1,000,000 lek in 2021, 2,500,000 lek in 2022, 2,000,000 lek in 2023, 3,000,000 lek in 2024 and 2,000,000 lek in 2025. The medium term budget plan 2026 - 2028 shows no actual spending on the culture programme in 2023 and 2024, 5,000,000 lek for 2025, including 3,000,000 lek of capital investment, and plans of 3,308,000 lek for 2026, 3,473,000 lek for 2027 and 1,000,000 lek for 2028. The difference is most likely explained by the reply's own note that many cultural payments are made from other programmes.
3. Cultural programme
Cultural activities consist of commemorations of historical figures and of historical dates of the area. The main event, “Sofra Konispolate”, organised in 2024 with the support of the Vlorë Regional Council, presented the dances and songs of regions within and outside Albania. It was held again in May 2026. The reply does not count events or participants.
4. Heritage
No restoration or other work on heritage sites was carried out in 2020 - 2025.
5. Planning and public participation
The reply does not mention a culture strategy, public consultations or income from culture.
6. Culture across the municipality
The reply gives no information on activities by administrative unit.
Conclusions
- Konispol reports between 0.9 and 3 million lek a year for culture, for operating costs only.
- Its own budget plan shows no spending on the culture programme in 2023 and 2024.
- One staff member, paid from the administration budget, is responsible for culture.
- “Sofra Konispolate” is the main event, held in 2024 and again in 2026.
- The population fell by 40.6% between the two censuses, and no heritage works took place.
Recommendations
Bring culture spending into one programme
Recording all spending on culture in the culture programme, or at least reporting what is paid from other programmes, would show the real effort of the municipality and remove the gap with the budget plan.
Make “Sofra Konispolate” a regular event
Holding the festival every year, with a clear budget and a count of participants, could make it a meeting point for residents, the diaspora and visitors.
List the local heritage
A simple list of monuments, traditions and stories in Konispol, Xarrë and Markat would be a first step towards protecting them and seeking funds.
Prepare a short culture plan
With very limited staff, a short plan for three years, discussed with residents, could set a few realistic priorities for activities and heritage.
About the data
Population figures come from the INSTAT 2023 Census. Amounts, staff and activities are as reported by the municipality in its reply of 7 July 2026. Programme figures come from the municipality's medium term budget plan (PBA) 2026 - 2028, phase I.
Every effort has been made to base this analysis on the data provided by the municipality, complemented with data from its Medium Term Budget Programmes (PBA) published online. For comments or questions, please contact artivista@arti-vista.org.
This article was prepared within the CulturAL project, with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the National Centre for Community Services and Artivista Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
