| 1 $ = | Start | 10/09/2026 | Change | |
| Last 24 hours | 81.983 Lek | ⇨ | 81.748 Lek | -0.29% |
| Last week | 81.87 Lek | ⇨ | 81.748 Lek | -0.15% |
| Last month | 79.22 Lek | ⇨ | 81.748 Lek | +3.19% |
| Last year | 83.711 Lek | ⇨ | 81.748 Lek | -2.35% |
| Currency | 10/02/2026 | 10/09/2026 | Change | |
| Iraqi Dinar (IQD) | 1,310 ID | ⇨ | 1,514.8 ID | +15.64% |
| Ugandan Shilling (UGX) | 3,989.6 USh | ⇨ | 4,088.7 USh | +2.49% |
| Russian Ruble (RUB) | 83.801 руб | ⇨ | 85.098 руб | +1.55% |
| Mexican Peso (MXN) | 18.169 $ | ⇨ | 18.442 $ | +1.5% |
| Seychellois Rupee (SCR) | 13.739 SR | ⇨ | 13.943 SR | +1.49% |
| Mauritian Rupee (MUR) | 48.15 Rs | ⇨ | 47.46 Rs | -1.43% |
| Afghan Afghani (AFN) | 66 Af | ⇨ | 65 Af | -1.52% |
| Colombian Peso (COP) | 3,272.8 $ | ⇨ | 3,198.9 $ | -2.26% |
| Paraguayan Guaraní (PYG) | 5,849.6 ₲ | ⇨ | 5,687.4 ₲ | -2.77% |
| Brazilian Real (BRL) | 5.2163 R$ | ⇨ | 4.9855 R$ | -4.42% |
| See also: 24h, monthly and yearly currency moves | ||||
| Currency name | Albanian Lek |
| Symbol | Lek |
| Also known as | ALL, Albanian Lek, 1 Lek = 100 qindarka |
| ISO code | ALL |
| Banknotes | 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 Lek |
| Coins | 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 Lek |
| Central bank | Bank of Albania (Banka e Shqipërisë) - Website: www.bankofalbania.org |
| Countries | 1 country: Albania (capital: Tirana, major cities: Tirana, Durrës, Vlorë, Shkodër) |
| Population | 3 mil. |
History
The lek (plural: lekë) is the official currency of Albania. Its symbol is L. First introduced in 1926, the lek replaced the gold franc that had circulated during the short-lived Kingdom of Albania. The name is thought to derive from "Aleksandër" (Alexander), honouring Alexander the Great, who is a historically significant figure in the region.
Under the communist dictatorship of Enver Hoxha (1944–1985), Albania became one of the world's most isolated countries. The lek was a non-convertible internal currency; private ownership of foreign currency was illegal. Albania declared itself an atheist state and severed ties with the Soviet Union in 1961 and China in 1978, making it uniquely isolated even by Eastern Bloc standards.
When communism collapsed in the early 1990s, Albania opened its economy. The transition was chaotic: widespread participation in fraudulent pyramid schemes in 1996–1997 triggered a national crisis when the schemes collapsed, wiping out many Albanians' savings, sparking armed rebellion, and causing the lek to plummet. International intervention, including a multinational peacekeeping mission, restored order.
The Bank of Albania manages monetary policy under an inflation-targeting framework. The lek is freely floating; the euro is widely used in practice, particularly for real estate and larger transactions. Albania is an EU candidate country working toward eventual euro adoption.
Sources:
"Albanian lek", Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albanian_lek
"1997 Albanian rebellion", Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_Albanian_rebellion