State of Culture in Albania 2025 · Municipal profiles · Artivista Center (Qendra Artivista)
This profile is based on information provided by the Municipality of Librazhd 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) | Elbasan |
| Administrative units | 7: Librazhd, Qendër Librazhd, Hotolisht, Lunik, Stëblevë, Polis, Orenjë |
| Area | 793.36 km² |
| Population, 2023 Census | 23,312 (about 29 residents per km²); 26.9% fewer than in 2011 |
| Residents aged 65 and over | 17.9% (national average 19.7%) |
| Culture and tourism budget (reply) | 9.1 million lek planned and 6.9 million spent in 2020; 26.1 million planned and 24.3 million spent in 2025 |
| Cultural institutions | Palace of Culture “Sadi Halili”; Children's Cultural Centre |
| Staff | 11 in 2020 - 2024, 12 in 2025 |
| Activities | From 18 in 2020 to 30 in 2025 |
Summary
Librazhd, in the mountains of the Shkumbin valley east of Elbasan, runs culture through two institutions, the Palace of Culture “Sadi Halili” and the Children's Cultural Centre, with 11 to 12 staff.
Its budget for culture and tourism almost tripled, from 9.1 million lek planned in 2020 to 26.1 million lek in 2025, and reached 30 million lek for 2026. The share actually spent rose from 76.3% to 93.3%, with a dip to 66.5% in 2022. The number of activities rose every year, from 18 to 30.
Both buildings were restored in 2017 - 2019, so no heritage works were funded in the period. Librazhd has no culture strategy, held no public consultations on culture and its institutions generate no income.
1. Governance and institutions
Two institutions depend on the municipality: the Palace of Culture “Sadi Halili” and the Children's Cultural Centre. The reply gives no further detail on their staff or functions.
2. Staff and funding
The reply gives the budget for culture and tourism together: 9,085,541 lek planned and 6,936,738 lek spent in 2020, 13,500,000 lek planned and spent in 2021, 10,836,232 and 7,209,739 lek in 2022, 14,370,104 and 12,508,184 lek in 2023, 17,628,603 and 16,132,788 lek in 2024, and 26,100,611 and 24,340,240 lek in 2025. The 2026 budget for culture and tourism is 30,000,000 lek, about 70% of it spent at the time of the reply.
The medium term budget plan 2025 - 2027 shows the culture programme alone: 9,757,000 lek spent in 2022 and 12,508,000 lek in 2023, the same as the reply, a budget of 15,199,000 lek for 2024 and plans of 13,980,000 to 14,261,000 lek a year for 2025 - 2027. Staff numbered 11 in 2020 - 2024 and 12 in 2025.
3. Cultural programme
The municipality organised 18 activities in 2020 and 2021, 19 in 2022, 22 in 2023, 25 in 2024 and 30 in 2025. The reply does not name them or count participants.
4. Heritage
No funds were used for restoration in 2020 - 2025, because both buildings, the Palace of Culture and the Children's Cultural Centre, were restored in 2017 - 2019.
5. Planning and public participation
Librazhd has no culture strategy, local plan or policy document, and no plans for the coming years. No public consultations on culture were held.
6. Culture across the municipality
Activities take place in the halls of the Children's Cultural Centre and the Palace of Culture, and in public squares and parks. The reply gives no information by administrative unit.
Conclusions
- The budget for culture and tourism almost tripled during the period 2020 - 2025.
- The share actually spent rose to over 90% in 2024 and 2025.
- Activities rose every year, from 18 to 30.
- Both cultural buildings were restored just before the period.
- There is no strategy, no public consultation and no income from culture.
Recommendations
Separate culture from tourism
Reporting the two budgets separately would show how much goes to culture, and would match the budget plan, which covers culture only.
Prepare a culture strategy
With a growing budget and calendar, a short strategy discussed with residents would help decide priorities for the next years.
Consult residents
Holding at least one public consultation a year on the cultural programme would let residents and young people shape it.
Reach the mountain units
Six of the seven units are rural. Taking some of the 30 yearly activities to Polis, Stëblevë, Orenjë and the other villages would bring culture to more residents.
About the data
Population figures come from the INSTAT 2023 Census. Budget, activities, institutions, staff and other information are as reported by the municipality in its reply (2026). Figures for the culture programme alone come from the municipality's medium term budget plan (PBA) 2025 - 2027.
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.
