Prices in the Albanian market remain high, and their normalization will require more time.

This is because inflation did not decrease in May, unlike the previous six months, when there was a consistent decline.

The downward trend in prices that started in November was interrupted last month, with the inflation rate registering at 4.7%, up from 4.6% in April.

Three groups have influenced this index: food with a 10% inflation rate, recreation and hotels.

However, not all items within these groups have experienced price increases. For example, in the food group, only fruits and vegetables have shown fluctuating increases, while in the services group, there has been a slight increase in bars and restaurants.

With this trend, the devaluation of the euro and the dollar does not seem to have had an effect on the market, as theoretically, the prices of imported products should have decreased.

Prices started rising towards the end of 2021, and now that the markets have stabilized, inflation is moving towards normal indicators of a healthy economy.

For the Bank of Albania, inflation should be at a level of 3%, not 4.7%, a level that could be reached in the first six months of 2024, according to forecasts.