Justice Reform, but Albania Among Countries With the Fewest Judges Relative to Population

Despite the far-reaching justice reform and the years-long vetting process for magistrates, Albania continues to have one of the lowest numbers of judges relative to its population in Europe.

In 2024, the country had only 9.66 professional judges per 100,000 inhabitants, according to Eurostat data processed by Monitor. For Albania, Eurostat reports only the number of judges; the ratio per 100,000 inhabitants was calculated by the editorial staff.

This level was around 39% below the European Union average of 15.7 judges per 100,000 inhabitants.

Among the 32 European and regional countries for which data were available, Albania ranked ninth from the bottom. Only Sweden, Malta, Poland, Italy, Czechia, Spain, Austria and Ireland had lower ratios.

Compared with other Western Balkan countries, Albania has a significant gap. Montenegro had 42.49 judges per 100,000 inhabitants, Serbia 40.18 and North Macedonia 20.15.

Relative to population, Montenegro had more than four times as many judges as Albania, while Serbia had around four times as many. No data for Bosnia and Herzegovina or Kosovo appear in the relevant table.

The low level reflects the shrinking of the judiciary during the vetting process, when departures, resignations and dismissals were not matched at the same pace by new appointments.

As a result, some courts have operated with vacant positions, while case backlogs and the length of proceedings have become some of the system’s main problems.

Other Eurostat data showed that 55% of judges in Albania are women, one of the lowest shares in Europe.

Croatia and Montenegro Lead Europe

Croatia had the highest ratio in Europe, with 43.32 professional judges per 100,000 inhabitants. It was followed by Montenegro with 42.49, Serbia with 40.18 and Slovenia with 40.16.

High levels were also recorded in Luxembourg, with 36.01 judges per 100,000 inhabitants, Bulgaria with 35.37 and Romania with 35.31.

In Germany, the ratio stood at 26.3 and in Greece at 26.06, while Finland and Estonia had 19.38 and 18.11 judges per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively.

Eurostat reported that across the European Union, the number of judges relative to population has also declined over the past decade. The EU had an average of 15.7 professional judges per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024, down from 17.7 in 2014.

Ireland had the lowest number of judges relative to population, with only 3.64 per 100,000 inhabitants. It was followed by Austria with 4.32, Spain with 6.18, Czechia with 6.72 and Italy with 7.86.

Poland recorded 8.01 judges per 100,000 inhabitants, Malta 8.52 and Sweden 9.04, all below Albania’s level.

However, direct comparisons between countries should also be interpreted in light of differences in the organization of judicial systems, the jurisdiction of courts and the role of other legal personnel.

Eurostat also notes that the data for Austria and Czechia include only judges authorized to hear criminal cases.

How a Professional Judge Is Defined

The indicator includes full-time and part-time professional judges authorized to hear civil, criminal and other cases, including those in courts of appeal.

They must be recruited and paid to work as judges. The data do not include non-professional judges, lay members of judicial panels or magistrates who do not perform this role professionally./Monitor