The Albanian economy grew by 4.45 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2018 from a year ago, Bank of Albania governor Gent Sejko said Wednesday in a statement.

"The indirect data we have available also suggest a positive growth rate over the second quarter," Sejko said.

According to Sejko, the expansion of economic activity is mainly driven by the growth of the industrial sector and in particular by the increase of electricity generation and export.

"From the aggregate demand perspective, economic growth has been helped by the expansion of private consumption, total investment and exports of goods and services, but it is curbed by rising imports," Sejko said.