Albanians are becoming like Italians, giving up bread, increasing pasta consumption

After recovering in 2024, imports for the cereal group are declining again. For the period January-March, around 59 thousand tons of cereals were imported, according to INSTAT data.

Compared to the same period in 2024, imports decreased by 8%.

This trend is in contrast to January-March 2024, when grain imports reached 64 thousand tons, about 80% more than the first quarter of the previous year.

The Chairman of the Flour Processors Association, Adi Haxhiymeri, claims that the decrease in grain imports has been influenced by the decline in consumption.

The trend of decreasing consumption, according to him, may be related to the increased presence of ready-made dough products on the market, including imported pasta, favored by the favorable price from the fall of the euro.

In addition to the increase in the consumption of ready-made dough products, an upward trend for 2025 is noted in the overall consumption of ready-made food products.

Based on data from the Big Market supermarket chain, the company's CEO, Ms. Elona Koshi, previously stated that for the months of January-February, the highest sales increases were for packaged ready-to-eat products. The upward trend may be related to the increased consumption of ready-to-eat products in workplaces.

There was also an increase in pasta imports in 2024. The import quantity reached 18.4 thousand tons or 7% more than in 2023.

The increase in imports continued throughout 2025. According to Customs data, in January-March 2025, the quantity of pasta imports increased by 17% compared to the same period of the previous year. In value, imports in January-March increased by 8% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

For the years 2018-2025, the highest value of pasta imports was recorded in 2022, due to the increase in their price, influenced by Russia's aggression in Ukraine.

Unlike the increase in pasta imports, the amount of wheat imports at the beginning of this year began to decline. For the month of January, according to Customs data, 10.5 thousand tons of wheat were imported. Compared to January 2024, wheat imports increased by 7%. While for the year 2024, an amount of 204 thousand tons of wheat were imported. Compared to 2023, the amount of wheat imports increased by 6.4%.

Flour wholesalers and bread factory managers have repeatedly reiterated their concern that the decline in consumption is also being affected by demographic changes in the population, especially the emigration of young people.

In 2024, concerns about the decline in demand for bread and pastries after the end of the tourist season were also expressed by the managers of some of the main bakeries in the country.

According to them, in October last year, demand for pastry and confectionery products fell by 20% compared to the previous year, except for sales of fast-food products that did not decrease.

But the downward trend in demand continued throughout 2025, entirely due to demographic changes in the population, while the arrival of tourists improves consumption only during the summer months, due to the longer stay of foreigners.

But unlike wheat, in the cereal group, corn imports at the beginning of the year continued the upward trend of 2024. For January 2025, the amount of imports increased by about 61% compared to January 2024.

Total wheat imports for 2024 increased by 36% compared to 2023. The use of imported corn is more related to livestock feed than to its use for consumers. / Monitor