State of Culture in Albania 2025 · Municipal profiles · Artivista Center (Qendra Artivista)
This profile is based on information provided by the Municipality of Memaliaj in reply to Artivista's request for information on culture (2026) and INSTAT's 2023 Population and Housing Census. Amounts are in Albanian lek.
At a glance
| Region (qark) | Gjirokastër |
| Administrative units | 6: Memaliaj, Memaliaj Fshat, Buz, Krahës, Luftinjë, Qesarat |
| Area | 372.07 km² |
| Population, 2023 Census | 6,578 (about 18 residents per km²); 38.3% fewer than in 2011 |
| Residents aged 65 and over | 29.0% (national average 19.7%) |
| Culture budget | None in 2020 - 2022; 1.2 million lek in 2023, 2.0 million in 2024, 1.0 million in 2025 |
| Cultural institutions | Children's Cultural Centre, Ethnographic Museum, Mining Museum, Library |
| Staff | 6 |
| Activities | Children's activities and fairs; “Vjosa ime” and “Jehona e Vjosës” from 2024 |
| Income from culture | None |
Summary
Memaliaj, on the Vjosa river in Gjirokastër county, is a small former mining town with 6,578 residents in 2023, 38% fewer than in 2011. Almost three in ten residents are 65 or older.
For lack of funds, the municipality planned no culture budget in 2020 - 2022. It planned 1.2 million lek in 2023, 2.0 million lek in 2024 and 1.0 million lek in 2025, and spent 82% of the budget in 2023 and practically all of it in 2024 and 2025.
Four small institutions with 6 staff in total carry out cultural work: the Children's Cultural Centre, the Ethnographic Museum, the Mining Museum and the Library. Since 2024 the calendar has included the events “Vjosa ime” and “Jehona e Vjosës”.
1. Governance and institutions
The Children's Cultural Centre has 3 staff. The Ethnographic Museum and the Mining Museum have 1 staff member each, and the Library has 1. The Mining Museum recalls the coal mines that shaped the town. The reply came from the Finance Directorate, on behalf of the mayor.
2. Staff and funding
No culture budget was planned in 2020, 2021 or 2022, because of a lack of funds. The municipality planned 1,200,000 lek in 2023 and spent 981,330 lek, planned 2,000,000 lek in 2024 and spent 1,998,400 lek, and planned 1,000,000 lek in 2025, which was fully spent. In 2025 the budget moved to a different programme code; the reply does not say why. The cultural institutions generate no income.
3. Cultural programme
In 2023 the municipality organised cultural activities for children and fairs. In 2024 and 2025 it held the events “Vjosa ime” (My Vjosa) and “Jehona e Vjosës” (Echo of the Vjosa), together with cultural activities for children. The reply does not give the number of activities.
4. Heritage
The reply does not mention any work on heritage sites.
5. Planning and public participation
The reply does not mention a culture strategy or public consultations on culture.
6. Culture across the municipality
The reply gives no information on activities by administrative unit.
Conclusions
- Memaliaj had no culture budget in 2020 - 2022, for lack of funds.
- Between 1 and 2 million lek a year were planned in 2023 - 2025, and almost all of it was spent in 2024 and 2025.
- Four small institutions with 6 staff deliver culture.
- Events about the Vjosa river have been held since 2024.
- The reply does not cover heritage, strategy, consultations or the villages.
Recommendations
Keep a stable culture budget
A culture budget that stays in the same programme every year, even if small, would let residents follow it over time.
Build on the Vjosa events
Recording the dates, places, costs and participants of “Vjosa ime” and “Jehona e Vjosës” would show their value for the town and for visitors to the Vjosa.
Mining heritage
The Mining Museum and the mining past of the town could be presented to visitors together with the Vjosa river, with support from national or EU programmes.
Give a fuller reply
Information on heritage, planning, consultations and activities in the villages would complete the picture of culture in Memaliaj.
About the data
Population figures come from the INSTAT 2023 Census. Budget, activities, institutions, staff and income are as reported by the Finance Directorate in the municipality's reply (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.
