The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo published its Annual Presentation for 2025, reaffirming that the domestic financial system remained stable and outlining reform and payments priorities for 2026. The update also set out the central bank’s macroeconomic projections for 2025, including around 3.9% economic growth and inflation of around 3.6%, with remittances expected to reach EUR 1.4 billion and foreign direct investment EUR 950 million. For the banking sector, the central bank reported low non-performing loans of 2.1% (November 2025 data), capital adequacy of 17.6%, liquidity coverage above 216%, and a loans-to-deposits ratio of 88%. It highlighted continued progress in financial inclusion and digitalisation, including 2.8 million accounts (over 1.2 million with e-banking access), a 33% annual increase in POS transactions, and over 413,000 accounts converted into basic accounts, most of them with no maintenance or operating fees. The presentation also referenced rapid uptake of Google Pay and Apple Pay after their 2025 launch, exceeding 66,000 users within four months and approaching EUR 10 million in transactions. On integration and infrastructure priorities, the central bank stated it had completed preparations and the pre-application process for the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) with the European Commission, but that final application remained blocked by the non-entry into force of three laws currently under procedural review by the Constitutional Court (the Law on Banks, the Law on Payment Services, and amendments to the anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing law). It also reported the launch of projects intended to modernise cash supply and payments, including an instant payments system (a TIPS Clone project with the Bank of Italy), alongside additional services linked to open banking and QR payments.

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