Bosnia and Herzegovina declared sovereignty in October 1991 and independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a “Greater Serbia.” In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak-Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that ended three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995).The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina’s international boundaries and created a multiethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government composed of two entities roughly equal in size: the predominantly Bosniak-Bosnian Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the predominantly Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments are responsible for overseeing most government functions. Additionally, the Dayton Accords established the Office of the High Representative to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. The Peace Implementation Council at its conference in Bonn in 1997 also gave the High Representative the authority to impose legislation and remove officials, the so-called “Bonn Powers.” In 1995, the NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops enforced the peace, but was replaced the next year by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. Currently, EUFOR deploys around 1,200 troops in Bosnia in a peacekeeping capacity.
land: 51,187 sq km
water: 10 sq km
border countries (3): Croatia 956 km; Montenegro 242 km; Serbia 345 km
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 500 m
arable land: 19.7% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 20.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 42.8% (2018 est.)
other: 15% (2018 est.)
3,807,764 (2023 est.)
noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)
adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian
Bosniak 50.1%, Serb 30.8%, Croat 15.4%, other 2.7%, not declared/no answer 1% (2013 est.)
note: Republika Srpska authorities dispute the methodology and refuse to recognize the results; Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam
Bosnian (official) 52.9%, Serbian (official) 30.8%, Croatian (official) 14.6%, other 1.6%, no answer 0.2% (2013 est.)
major-language sample(s):
Knjiga svjetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Bosnian)
Knjiga svetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Serbian)
Knjiga svjetskih činjenica, nužan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Croatian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Muslim 50.7%, Orthodox 30.7%, Roman Catholic 15.2%, atheist 0.8%, agnostic 0.3%, other 1.2%, undeclared/no answer 1.1% (2013 est.)
0-14 years: 13.14% (male 258,937/female 241,581)
15-64 years: 69% (male 1,319,995/female 1,307,304)
65 years and over: 17.86% (2023 est.) (male 277,555/female 402,392)
total dependency ratio: 48
youth dependency ratio: 22.3
elderly dependency ratio: 27.1
potential support ratio: 3.7 (2021 est.)
total: 44.4 years (2023 est.)
male: 42.7 years
female: 46.1 years
-0.23% (2023 est.)
8.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
10.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
the northern and central areas of the country are the most densely populated
urban population: 50.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.61% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
346,000 SARAJEVO (capital) (2023)
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
27.7 years (2019 est.)
6 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 78.2 years (2023 est.)
male: 75.3 years
female: 81.4 years
1.37 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.66 (2023 est.)
45.8% (2011/12)
improved: urban: 99.9% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 99.9% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.1% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)
9.8% of GDP (2020)
2.16 physicians/1,000 population (2015)
3.5 beds/1,000 population (2014)
improved: urban: 99.5% of population
rural: NA
total: NA
unimproved: urban: 0.5% of population
rural: NA
total: (2020 est.) NA
17.9% (2016)
total: 5.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 4.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.47 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 35% (2020 est.)
male: 42% (2020 est.)
female: 28% (2020 est.)
63.8% (2023 est.)
NA
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.1%
male: 99.4%
female: 98.1% (2021)
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2014)
air pollution; deforestation and illegal logging; inadequate wastewater treatment and flood management facilities; sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; land mines left over from the 1992-95 civil strife are a hazard in some areas
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast
agricultural land: 42.2% (2018 est.)
arable land: 19.7% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 20.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 42.8% (2018 est.)
other: 15% (2018 est.)
urban population: 50.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.61% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0.49% of GDP (2018 est.)
0.34% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 26.19 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 21.85 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 2.92 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,248,718 tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 12 tons (2015 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 0% (2015 est.)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
municipal: 310 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
37.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
import-dominated economy; remains consumption-heavy; lack of private sector investments and diversification; jointly addressing structural economic challenges; Chinese energy infrastructure investments; high unemployment; tourism industry impacted by COVID-19
$51.244 billion (2021 est.)
$47.649 billion (2020 est.)
$49.183 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
7.55% (2021 est.)
-3.12% (2020 est.)
2.83% (2019 est.)
$15,700 (2021 est.)
$14,400 (2020 est.)
$14,600 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$20.078 billion (2019 est.)
1.98% (2021 est.)
-1.05% (2020 est.)
0.56% (2019 est.)
Moody’s rating: B3 (2012)
Standard & Poors rating: B (2011)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 6.8% (2017 est.)
industry: 28.9% (2017 est.)
services: 64.3% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 77.4% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 20% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 16.6% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 2.3% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 38.7% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -55.1% (2017 est.)
maize, milk, vegetables, potatoes, wheat, plums/sloes, apples, barley, cabbages, poultry
steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, ammunition, domestic appliances, oil refining
8.87% (2021 est.)
1.169 million (2021 est.)
15.22% (2021 est.)
15.27% (2020 est.)
15.69% (2019 est.)
note: official rate; actual rate is lower as many technically unemployed persons work in the gray economy
total: 32.9% (2021 est.)
male: 28.2%
female: 39.9%
16.9% (2015 est.)
33 (2011 est.)
on food: 30.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 9.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 25.8% (2011 est.)
revenues: $8.434 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $8.154 billion (2019 est.)
2.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
46.05% of GDP (2020 est.)
44.63% of GDP (2019 est.)
45.56% of GDP (2018 est.)
note: data cover general government debt and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions.
19.01% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
calendar year
-$557.887 million (2021 est.)
-$658.601 million (2020 est.)
-$531.917 million (2019 est.)
$9.948 billion (2021 est.)
$6.936 billion (2020 est.)
$8.199 billion (2019 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Germany 14%, Italy 12%, Croatia 11%, Serbia 11%, Austria 9%, Slovenia 8% (2019)
electricity, seating, insulated wiring, lumber, furniture (2021)
$12.726 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$9.726 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$11.156 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Croatia 15%, Serbia 13%, Germany 10%, Italy 9%, Slovenia 7%, China 6% (2019)
refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, coal, electricity (2019)
$9.475 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$8.707 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$7.208 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$10.87 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$10.64 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
1.654 (2021 est.)
1.717 (2020 est.)
1.747 (2019 est.)
1.657 (2018 est.)
1.735 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 4.775 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 11,657,450,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 7.316 billion kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 3.266 billion kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.257 billion kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 62.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 1.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 35.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 6.966 million metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 7.752 million metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 525,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 1.366 million metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 2.264 billion metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 34,700 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 13,900 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
4,603 bbl/day (2015 est.)
18,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 218.266 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 218.266 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
16.209 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 10.923 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 4.871 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 415,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
71.815 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 7,070 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 87 (2015) mt-km
T9
24 (2021)
7
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
17
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
6 (2021)
147 km gas, 9 km oil (2013)
total: 965 km (2014)
standard gauge: 965 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (565 km electrified)
total: 22,926 km (2010)
paved: 19,426 km (2010) (4,652 km of interurban roads)
unpaved: 3,500 km (2010)
990 km (2022) (Sava River on northern border; open to shipping but use limited)
river port(s): Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, Brcko, Orasje (Sava River)
manyapis