State of Culture in Albania 2025 · Municipal profiles · Artivista Center (Qendra Artivista)
This profile is based on information provided by the Municipality of Malësi e Madhe 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) | Shkodër |
| Administrative units | 6: Koplik, Gruemirë, Kastrat, Kelmend, Qendër, Shkrel |
| Area | 951.01 km² |
| Population, 2023 Census | 21,684 (about 23 residents per km²); 29.6% fewer than in 2011 |
| Residents aged 65 and over | 22.8% (national average 19.7%) |
| Culture budget (reply) | 3.66 million lek planned and 2.16 million spent in 2020; 7.97 million planned and 5.73 million spent in 2025 |
| Cultural structure | Culture Office, within the Directorate of Culture, Education, Sport, Tourism and Youth |
| Staff | 4 |
| Activities | From 2 a year in 2020 - 2022 to 8 in 2025 |
| Strategy | A Culture Development Strategy is being drafted |
Summary
Malësi e Madhe, the mountain municipality north of Shkodër that includes Kelmend and the Albanian Alps on the border with Montenegro, runs culture through a small Culture Office of 4 staff in Koplik. It lost almost 30% of its population between the two censuses.
The culture budget more than doubled, from 3.66 million lek in 2020 to 7.97 million lek in 2025, while spending rose from 2.16 to 5.73 million lek. Between 53% and 72% of the budget was spent each year. The number of activities grew from 2 a year in 2020 - 2022 to 8 in 2025.
No heritage works were funded and no funds were distributed to others in culture. The municipality is drafting a Culture Development Strategy, and residents raise their requests on culture in the yearly public hearings on the budget.
1. Governance and institutions
Culture is the responsibility of the Culture Sector, also called the Culture Office, in the Directorate of Culture, Education, Sport, Tourism and Youth in Koplik. It has 4 staff.
2. Staff and funding
The approved budget and actual spending were 3,660,000 and 2,164,200 lek in 2020, 3,660,000 and 1,930,680 lek in 2021, 3,960,000 and 2,368,360 lek in 2022, 4,760,000 and 3,325,828 lek in 2023, 7,867,700 and 4,167,078 lek in 2024, and 7,970,319 and 5,725,125 lek in 2025. The share spent varied between 52.8% and 71.8%.
The medium term budget plan 2024 - 2026 confirms the figures for 2021 - 2023 and set a target of 5 cultural events a year with 3,960,000 lek for each year 2024 - 2026; the budgets approved later for 2024 and 2025 were about twice as large. The municipality distributed no public funds to others in culture, and its cultural structures generate no income.
3. Cultural programme
The municipality organised 2 activities a year in 2020, 2021 and 2022, 3 in 2023, 4 in 2024 and 8 in 2025. The reply does not name them. Events take place in public spaces owned by the municipality, which the reply says keeps costs low.
4. Heritage
No municipal funds were used for work on heritage sites during the period 2020 - 2025.
5. Planning and public participation
The Culture Sector is drafting a Culture Development Strategy, to guide cultural policy in the coming years, with a focus on promoting the area's cultural values and heritage and local identity. Public consultations take place every year as part of the budget hearings, where residents of the different areas present their requests.
6. Culture across the municipality
The reply gives no information on activities by administrative unit.
Conclusions
- The culture budget more than doubled during the period 2020 - 2025.
- Between 53% and 72% of the approved budget was spent each year.
- Activities grew from 2 a year to 8 in 2025.
- No heritage works were funded in a municipality with rich mountain heritage.
- A Culture Development Strategy is being drafted.
Recommendations
Finish and consult on the strategy
Completing the Culture Development Strategy, and discussing it with residents of Kelmend, Shkrel, Kastrat and the other areas, would give culture clear goals.
Name the activities
Listing the yearly activities, with places and participants, would show how the growing budget is used.
Protect mountain heritage
Kullas, churches, trails and traditions of the highlands are part of the area's appeal. A small yearly fund for their care, combined with national or EU calls, could start their protection.
Bring culture to the villages
With most residents spread across six units, holding some of the yearly events in the villages, especially in summer, would reach more people and visitors.
About the data
Population figures come from the INSTAT 2023 Census. Budget, activities, staff, consultations, strategy and income are as reported by the Culture Sector in the municipality's reply (2026). Plan figures come from the municipality's medium term budget plan (PBA) 2024 - 2026.
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.
