2023 Edition

Background

After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have any of the other former Soviet republics, and since 2022 Belarus has facilitated Russia's war in Ukraine, which was launched in part from Belarusian territory. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place and negotiations on further integration have been contentious. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first and only directly elected president, Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on political and civil freedoms, freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion have remained in place. Restrictions on political freedoms have grown increasingly strained following the disputed presidential election in August 2020. The election results sparked largescale protests as members of the opposition and civil society criticized the election’s validity. Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA has remained in power as the disputed winner of the presidential election after quelling protests in late 2020.        

Area

land

202,900 sq km

total

207,600 sq km

water

4,700 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Kentucky; slightly smaller than Kansas

Climate

cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m

lowest point

Nyoman River 90 m

mean elevation

160 m

Geographic coordinates

53 00 N, 28 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes

Irrigated land

303 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

border countries

Latvia 161 km; Lithuania 640 km; Poland 375 km; Russia 1,312 km; Ukraine 1,111 km

total

3,599 km

Land use

agricultural land

43.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 27.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 15.9% (2018 est.)

forest

42.7% (2018 est.)

other

13.6% (2018 est.)

Location

Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Major rivers (by length in km)

Dnyapro (Dnieper) (shared with Russia [s] and Ukraine [m]) - 2,287 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Dnieper (533,966 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

large tracts of marshy land

Natural resources

timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

Terrain

generally flat with much marshland

Age structure

0-14 years

15.83% (male 764,281/female 721,632)

15-64 years

66.81% (male 3,055,606/female 3,213,751)

65 years and over

17.36% (2023 est.) (male 544,270/female 1,084,313)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

2.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

2.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

4.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

10.57 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

8.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

1.6% (2019 est.)

women married by age 15

0.1%

women married by age 18

4.7%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

52.6% (2019)

Current health expenditure

6.4% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

66.6% (2023 est.)

Death rate

13.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

25.4

potential support ratio

3.9 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

50.8

youth dependency ratio

25.4

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 99.6% of population

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

4.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Belarusian 83.7%, Russian 8.3%, Polish 3.1%, Ukrainian 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.9% (2009 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.7 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

10.8 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant mortality rate

female

1.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

2.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

2.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Languages

Russian (official) 71.4%, Belarusian (official) 26%, other 0.3% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 2.3% (2009 est.)

major-language sample(s)

Книга фактов о мире – незаменимый источник базовой информации. (Russian)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.9 years

male

69.6 years

total population

74.6 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.9% (2019)

male

99.9%

total population

99.9%

Major urban areas - population

2.057 million MINSK (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

1 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

44.6 years

male

39.1 years

total

41.7 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

26.8 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Belarusian

noun

Belarusian(s)

Net migration rate

0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.5% (2016)

Physicians density

4.54 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

9,383,853 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

Population growth rate

-0.39% (2023 est.)

Religions

Orthodox 48.3%, Catholic 7.1%, other 3.5%, non-believers 41.1% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 98.3% of population

improved: total

total: 99.5% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.5% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2021)

male

15 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.5 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.88 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

13.5% (2020 est.)

male

47.4% (2020 est.)

total

30.5% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.45 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

80.7% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

8.4%

male

14%

total

11.3% (2021 est.)

Administrative divisions

6 regions (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel' (Gomel'), Horad Minsk* (Minsk City), Hrodna (Grodno), Mahilyow (Mogilev), Minsk, Vitsyebsk (Vitebsk)

note

note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers; Russian spelling provided for reference when different from Belarusian

Capital

etymology

the origin of the name is disputed; Minsk may originally have been located 16 km to the southwest, on the banks of Menka River; remnants of a 10th-century settlement on the banks of the Menka have been found

geographic coordinates

53 54 N, 27 34 E

name

Minsk

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Belarus

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic through petition to the National Assembly or by petition of least 150,000 eligible voters; approval required by at least two-thirds majority vote in both chambers or by simple majority of votes cast in a referendum; amended 1996, 2004

history

several previous; latest drafted between late 1991 and early 1994, signed 15 March 1994

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Belarus

conventional short form

Belarus

etymology

the name is a compound of the Belarusian words "bel" (white) and "Rus" (the Old East Slavic ethnic designation) to form the meaning White Rusian or White Ruthenian

former

Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

Respublika Byelarus' (Belarusian)/ Respublika Belarus' (Russian)

local short form

Byelarus' (Belarusian)/ Belarus' (Russian)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Peter KAUFMAN (since June 2023)

email address and website

ConsularMinsk@state.govhttps://by.usembassy.gov/

embassy

46 Starovilenskaya Street, Minsk 220002

FAX

[375] (17) 334-78-53

mailing address

7010 Minsk Place, Washington DC  20521-7010

telephone

[375] (17) 210-12-83/217-73-47/217-73-48

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant; recalled by Belarus in 2008); Chargé d'Affaires Pavel SHIDLOWSKI (since 9 August 2022)

email address and website

usa@mfa.gov.byhttps://usa.mfa.gov.by/en/

FAX

[1] (202) 986-1805

telephone

[1] (202) 986-1606

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (since 20 July 1994)

election results

2020: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA reelected president (); percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 80.1%, Svyatlana TSIKHANOWSKAYA (independent) 10.1%, other 9.8%; note - widespread street protests erupted following announcement of the election results amid allegations of voter fraud2015: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA president (); percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 84.1%, Tatsyana KARATKEVICH 4.4%, Sergey GAYDUKEVICH 3.3%, other 8.2%.

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); first election held on 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999; however, Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held on 9 September 2001; an October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and allowed the President LUKASHENKA to run and win a third  term (19 March 2006); a fourth term (19 December 2010); a fifth term (11 October 2015); a sixth term (9 August 2020); next election to be held in 2025; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister Roman GOLOVCHENKO (since 4 June 2020); First Deputy Prime Minister Mikalay SNAPKOW (since 4 June 2020); Deputy Prime Ministers Ihar PETRYSHENKA (since 18 August 2018), Anatol SIVAK (since 1 September 2020), Leanid ZAYATS (since 21 March 2022), Petr PARKHOMCHYK (since 16 August 2022)

Flag description

red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears Belarusian national ornamentation in red; the red band color recalls past struggles from oppression, the green band represents hope and the many forests of the country

Government type

presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

Independence

25 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CEI, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAEU, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the chairman and deputy chairman and organized into several specialized panels, including economic and military; number of judges set by the president of the republic and the court chairman); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 judges, including a chairman and deputy chairman)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the consent of the Council of the Republic; judges initially appointed for 5 years and evaluated for life appointment; Constitutional Court judges - 6 appointed by the president and 6 elected by the Council of the Republic; the presiding judge directly elected by the president and approved by the Council of the Republic; judges can serve for 11 years with an age limit of 70

subordinate courts

oblast courts; Minsk City Court; town courts; Minsk city and oblast economic courts

Legal system

civil law system; note - nearly all major codes (civil, civil procedure, criminal, criminal procedure, family, and labor) were revised and came into force in 1999 and 2000

Legislative branch

description

bicameral National Assembly or Natsyyalny Skhod consists of:Council of the Republic or Savet Respubliki (64 seats statutory, current 60; 56 members indirectly elected by regional and Minsk city councils and 8 members appointed by the president; members serve 4-year terms)House of Representatives or Palata Pradstawnikow (110 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

Council of the Republic - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - as of August 2023 - men 45, women 15, percent of women 25%House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KPB 11, Republican Party of Labor and Justice 6, BPP 2, LDP 1, BAP 1, independent 89; composition as of August 2023 - men 66, women 44, percent of women 40%; note - total National Assembly percent of women 34.7%

elections

Council of the Republic - indirect election last held on 7 November 2019House of Representatives - last held on 17 November 2019 (next to be held on 25 February 2024); OSCE observers determined that the election was neither free nor impartial and that vote counting was problematic in a number of polling stations; pro-LUKASHENKA candidates won every seat; international observers determined that the previous elections - on 28 September 2008, 23 September 2012, and 11 September 2016 -  also fell short of democratic standards, with pro-LUKASHENKA candidates winning every, or virtually every seat

note

note: the US does not recognize the legitimacy of the National Assembly

National anthem

lyrics/music

Mikhas KLIMKOVICH and Uladzimir KARYZNA/Nester SAKALOUSKI

name

"My, Bielarusy" (We Belarusians)

note

note: music adopted 1955, lyrics adopted 2002; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Belarus kept the music of its Soviet-era anthem but adopted new lyrics; also known as "Dziarzauny himn Respubliki Bielarus" (State Anthem of the Republic of Belarus)

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Białowieża Forest (n); Mir Castle Complex (c); Architectural, Residential, and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh (c)

total World Heritage Sites

4 (3 cultural, 1 natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union

National symbol(s)

no clearly defined current national symbol, the mounted knight known as Pahonia (the Chaser) is the traditional Belarusian symbol; national colors: green, red, white

Political parties and leaders

pro-government parties:Belarusian Agrarian Party or BAP [Mikhail RUSY]Belarusian Patriotic Party or BPP [Mikalay ULAKHOVICH]Belarusian Social Sport Party or BSSP [Uladzimir ALEKSANDROVICH]Belaya Rus [Henadz DAVYDKA]Communist Party of Belarus or KPB [Alyaksey SOKOL]Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Aleh GAYDUKEVICH]Republican Party [Uladzimir BELAZOR]Republican Party of Labor and Justice [Alyaksandr STSYAPANAW]Social Democratic Party of Popular Accord [Syarhey YERMAK]opposition parties: Belarusian Christian Democracy Party [Paval SEVYARYNETS, Volha KAVALKOVA, Vital RYMASHEWSKI] (unregistered)Belarusian Party of the Green [Dzimtry KUCHUK]Belarusian Party of the Left "Just World" [Syarhey KALYAKIN]Belarusian Social-Democratic Assembly of BSDH [Syarhey CHERACHEN]Belarusian Social Democratic Party ("Assembly") or BSDPH [Ihar BARYSAW]Belarusian Social Democratic Party (People's Assembly) or BSDP [Mikalay STATKEVICH] (unregistered)BPF Party [Ryhor KASTUSYOW]Christian Conservative Party-BPF [Zyanon PAZNYAK]United Civic Party or UCP [Mikalay KAZLOW]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, triticale, barley, maize, rye, rapeseed, poultry

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

7.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

32.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$24.239 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$24.743 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

2.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B (2018)

Moody's rating

B3 (2018)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B (2017)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$1.246 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$178.4 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$2.153 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$39.297 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$39.847 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

declining Russian energy subsidies will end in 2024; growing public debt; strong currency pressures have led to higher inflation; recent price controls on basic food and drugs; public sector wage increases and fragile private sector threaten household income gains and economic growth

Exchange rates

Currency

Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

1.932 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

2.038 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

2.092 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

2.44 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

2.539 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$41.975 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$37.183 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$49.425 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

fertilizers, refined petroleum, cheese, delivery trucks, lumber (2021)

Exports - partners

Russia 42%, Ukraine 13%, United Kingdom 7% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

67% (2017 est.)

government consumption

14.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

54.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-67% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.9% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

5.7% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

8.1% (2017 est.)

industry

40.8% (2017 est.)

services

51.1% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$63.168 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020

24.4 (2020 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

21.9% (2008)

lowest 10%

3.8%

Imports

Imports 2019

$42.378 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$35.236 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$45.459 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment (2019)

Imports - partners

Russia 57%, China 7%, Poland 5%, Germany 5%, Ukraine 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

6.7% (2021 est.)

Industries

metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

5.6% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

5.55% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

9.46% (2021 est.)

Labor force

4.95 million (2021 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

9.7%

industry

23.4%

services

66.8% (2015 est.)

Population below poverty line

5% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2017

39.88% of GDP (2017 est.)

Public debt 2018

37.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

33.24% of GDP (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$181.605 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$180.335 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$184.482 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

1.4% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-0.7% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

2.3% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$19,300 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$19,200 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$19,800 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$9.394 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$7.468 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$8.425 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

12.02% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers

Unemployment rate 2019

4.16% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

4.77% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

4.74% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

8.4%

male

14%

total

11.3% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

1.623 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

36.217 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

16.856 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

54.695 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

621,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

1.574 million metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

2.117 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

32,665,500,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

4.777 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

4.277 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

11.36 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

2.711 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

95.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

1.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

102.558 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

18,639,590,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

18,673,429,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

68.951 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

2.832 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

2.22GW (2023)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

2 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

14.1% (2021)

Percent of total energy produced

40.8% (2021)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

32,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

383,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

198 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

134,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

34,300 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

351,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

14,630 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

477,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

35 (2020 est.)

total

3,255,552 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

7 state-controlled national TV channels; Polish and Russian TV broadcasts are available in some areas; state-run Belarusian Radio operates 5 national networks and an external service; Russian and Polish radio broadcasts are available (2019)

Internet country code

.by

Internet users

percent of population

87% (2021 est.)

total

8.352 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity is improving although rural areas continue to be underserved, approximately 45 per 100 fixed-line; mobile-cellular teledensity now roughly 123 telephones per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

the Government of Belarus has successfully promoted the migration to an all-IP platform as part of a wider effort towards a digital transformation for the economy; the state-supported infrastructure operator beCloud has built an extensive fiber network, which reaches all but the smallest settlements in the country; Belarus has the second-highest fiber subscription rate in Europe, behind only Iceland; LTE coverage is almost universal, while considerable progress has also been made in developing 5G services (2021)

international

country code - 375; Belarus is landlocked and therefore a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); 3 fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations; almost 31,000 base stations in service in 2019 (2020)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

45 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

4,332,754 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

123 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

11,760,087 (2021 est.)

Airports

65 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

33

note

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.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

32

note

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

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

EW

Heliports

1 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

other 4

total

4 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

1.9 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

2,760,168 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

30

number of registered air carriers

2 (2020)

Pipelines

5,386 km gas, 1,589 km oil, 1,730 km refined products (2013)

Ports and terminals

river port(s)

Mazyr (Prypyats')

Railways

broad gauge

5,503 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)

standard gauge

25 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total

5,528 km (2014)

Roadways

total

86,600 km (2017)

Waterways

2,500 km (2011) (major rivers are the west-flowing Western Dvina and Neman Rivers and the south-flowing Dnepr River and its tributaries, the Berezina, Sozh, and Pripyat Rivers)

Military - note

the military of Belarus is responsible for territorial defense; it is a mixed force of conscripts and professionals that is equipped with Russian or Soviet-era weapons; the Army’s principal combat forces are divided into two geographically based commands, each with two mechanized brigades and an artillery brigade; there are also separate artillery and surface-to-surface missile brigades; the Special Operations Forces have three airborne, air assault, and special forces (spetsnaz) brigades, which serve as the military’s high-readiness units; the Air and Air Defense inventory includes about 100 combat aircraft and attack helicopters, as well as air defense brigades and regiments with surface-to-air missilesRussia is the country’s closest security partner, a relationship that includes an integrated air and missile defense system and joint military training centers and exercises; Russia leases from Belarus a strategic ballistic missile defense site operated by Russian Aerospace Forces and a global communications facility for the Russian Navy; in 2020, the countries signed an agreement allowing for close security cooperation between the Belarusian Ministry of Interior and the Russian National Guard, including protecting public order and key government facilities and combating extremism and terrorism; in 2022, Belarus allowed Russian military forces to stage on its territory for their invasion of Ukraine and continues to supply arms and other aid to the Russian military, including logistical support, supply lines, medical care, and airfields for Russian combat aircraft; in 2023, Belarus agreed to permit Russia to deploy nuclear weapons on its soilBelarus has been a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and has committed an airborne brigade to CSTO's rapid reaction force; the military trains regularly with other CSTO members (2023)

Military and security forces

Belarus Armed Forces: Army, Air and Air Defense Force, Special Operations Force, Special Troops (electronic warfare, signals, engineers, biological/chemical/nuclear protection troops, etc)Ministry of Interior: State Border Troops, Militia, Internal Troops (2023)

note

note: in early 2023, President LUKASHENKO ordered the formation of a new volunteer paramilitary territorial defense force to supplement the Army

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 45-50,000 active-duty troops; information on the individual services varies, but reportedly includes about 25-30,000 Army, 15,000 Air/Air Defense, and 5,000 Special Operations forces (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory is comprised mostly of Russian/Soviet-origin equipment, and in recent years Russia has continued to be the leading provider of arms; Belarus's defense industry manufactures some equipment (mostly modernized Soviet designs), including vehicles, guided weapons, and electronic warfare systems (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

1.5% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $2.05 billion)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.5% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $2.11 billion)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-27 years of age for compulsory military or alternative service; conscript service obligation is 12-18 months, depending on academic qualifications, and 24-36 months for alternative service, also depending on academic qualifications; 17-year-olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel (2023)

note

note: conscripts can be assigned to the military, to the Ministry of Interior as internal or border troops, or to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (alternative service); as of 2020, conscripts comprised an estimated 40% of the military

Disputes - international

Belarus-Latvia: boundary demarcated with LatviaBelarus-Lithuania: boundary demarcated with Lithuania.Belarus-Poland: as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland has implemented strict Schengen border rules to restrict illegal immigration and trade along its border with Belarus.

Illicit drugs

limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; a small and lightly regulated financial center; anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards and was weakened further when know-your-customer requirements were curtailed in 2008; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

32,435 (Ukraine) (as of 1 August 2023)

stateless persons

5,626 (2022)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 3 — Belarus does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore Belarus was downgraded to Tier 3; nonetheless, the government took some steps to address trafficking, including conducting investigations and prosecutions and identifying and referring victims to services; however, the government did not report investigating, prosecuting, or convicting traffickers under its trafficking statute nor provide adequate protection to victims; officials reportedly returned many migrants and asylum seekers to their countries of origin without comprehensively screening them for trafficking; the government did not report conducting awareness activities, and its efforts to prevent labor trafficking remained inadequate; for the 5th consecutive year, Belarus did not report investigating or filing charges related to illegal recruitment of migrant workers (2022)

trafficking profile

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims and exploit Belarusians abroad; the majority of trafficking victims are men subjected to forced labor, primarily in Russia; most Belarusian victims are trafficked in Belarus and Russia, but also in Poland, Turkey, and other European, Eurasian and Middle Eastern countries; some Belarusian women traveling for foreign employment in the adult entertainment and hotel industries are subjected to sex trafficking; most traffickers are Belarusian citizens, and traffickers increasingly use online methods to coerce victims into forced labor and sex trafficking (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Belarus Space Agency (aka National Agency for Space Research; established 2009) (2023)

Space program overview

has a modest national space program focused on developing remote sensing (RS) satellites; jointly builds satellites with foreign partners; develops some space technologies and components for space equipment, including satellite payloads and associated technology, such as optics and imaging equipment; has cooperated with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine; has a state-owned satellite company (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

58.28 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

17.19 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

15.48 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime

Environment - current issues

soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

43.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 27.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 15.9% (2018 est.)

forest

42.7% (2018 est.)

other

13.6% (2018 est.)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Dnyapro (Dnieper) (shared with Russia [s] and Ukraine [m]) - 2,287 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Dnieper (533,966 sq km)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

1.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

57.9 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

370 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

410 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

550 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

80.7% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

4.28 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

684,800 tons (2016 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

16% (2016 est.)