2020 Edition

Background

After four centuries of Ottoman rule over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary took control in 1878 and held the region until 1918, when it was incorporated into the newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. After World War II, Bosnia and Herzegovina joined the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). Bosnia and Herzegovina declared sovereignty in October 1991 and independence from the SFRY on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. Bosnian Serb militias, with the support of Serbia and Croatia, then tried to take control of territories they claimed as their own. From 1992 to 1995, ethnic cleansing campaigns killed thousands and displaced more than two million people. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement, and the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995. The Dayton Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a multiethnic and democratic 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 Dayton Accords also established the Office of the High Representative to oversee the agreement's implementation. In 1996, the NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) took over responsibility for enforcing the peace. In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. As of 2022, EUFOR deploys around 1,600 troops in Bosnia in a peacekeeping capacity. Bosnia and Herzegovina became an official candidate for EU membership in 2022.

Area

land

51,187 sq km

total

51,197 sq km

water

10 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Climate

hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast

Coastline

20 km

Elevation

highest point

Maglic 2,386 m

lowest point

Adriatic Sea 0 m

mean elevation

500 m

Geographic coordinates

44 00 N, 18 00 E

Geography - note

within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Montenegro

Irrigated land

30 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Croatia 956 km; Montenegro 242 km; Serbia 345 km

total

1,543 km

Land use

agricultural land

21.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 7.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 12.8% (2023 est.)

forest

42.2% (2023 est.)

other

36.1% (2023 est.)

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

(Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

NA

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes

Natural resources

coal, iron ore, antimony, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, timber, hydropower

Population distribution

the northern and central areas of the country are the most densely populated

Terrain

mountains and valleys

Age structure

0-14 years

13.1% (male 257,444/female 240,209)

15-64 years

68.3% (male 1,305,271/female 1,290,920)

65 years and over

18.6% (2024 est.) (male 289,449/female 415,378)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

4.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

5.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.47 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

6.88 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

12.29 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

27.8 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

3.6 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

44.5 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

16.7 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 97.3% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 96.1% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 94.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 2.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 3.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 5.2% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

10.2% national budget (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Bosniak 50.1%, Serb 30.8%, Croat 15.4%, other 2.7%, not declared/no answer 1% (2013 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.56 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

9.6% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

14.8% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.3 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

4.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male

5.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.6 years

male

75.5 years

total population

78.5 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

346,000 SARAJEVO (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

6 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

46.5 years

male

43.1 years

total

45.7 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

27.7 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Bosnian, Herzegovinian

noun

Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)

Net migration rate

-1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

17.9% (2016)

Physician density

2.58 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

female

1,874,951

male

1,778,548

total

3,653,499 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.67% (2025 est.)

Religions

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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

urban: 99.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.5% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2023 est.)

male

14 years (2023 est.)

total

14 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.7 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

29% (2025 est.)

male

39.2% (2025 est.)

total

34% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.15 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.61% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

50.3% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

3 first-order administrative divisions - Brcko District (Brcko Distrikt) (ethnically mixed), Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine) (predominantly Bosniak-Croat), Republika Srpska (predominantly Serb)

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

the name derives from the Turkish word saray, meaning "palace" or "mansion" 

geographic coordinates

43 52 N, 18 25 E

name

Sarajevo

time difference

UTC+1 (6 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina

dual citizenship recognized

yes, provided there is a bilateral agreement with the other state

residency requirement for naturalization

8 years

Constitution

amendment process

decided by the Parliamentary Assembly, including a two-thirds majority vote of members present in the House of Representatives; the constitutional article on human rights and fundamental freedoms cannot be amended

history

14 December 1995 (constitution included as part of the Dayton Peace Accords)

Country name

abbreviation

BiH

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Bosnia and Herzegovina

etymology

the larger northern territory is named for the Bosna River; the smaller southern section takes its name from the Old Serbian word herceg, meaning "duke," combined with the possessive -ov and the suffix -ina, meaning "country," to denote "dukedom"

former

People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

local long form

none

local short form

Bosna i Hercegovina

Diplomatic representation from the US

branch office(s)

Banja Luka, Mostar

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires John GINKEL (since September 2025)

email address and website

sarajevoACS@state.gov https://ba.usembassy.gov/

embassy

1 Robert C. Frasure Street, 71000 Sarajevo

FAX

[387] (33) 659-722

mailing address

7130 Sarajevo Place, Washington DC 20521-7130

telephone

[387] (33) 704-000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador Sven ALKALAJ (since 30 June 2023)

consulate(s) general

Chicago

email address and website

info@bhembassy.org http://www.bhembassy.org/index.html

FAX

[1] (202) 337-1502

telephone

[1] (202) 337-1500

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairperson, approved by the state-level House of Representatives

chief of state

Chairperson of the Presidency Zeljko KOMSIC (chairperson since 16 July 2025; presidency member since 20 November 2018 - Croat seat); Denis BECIROVIC (presidency member since 16 November 2022 - Bosniak seat); Zeljka CVIJANOVIC (presidency member since 16 November 2022 - Serb seat)

election results

2022: percent of vote - Denis BECIROVIC - (SDP BiH) 57.4% - Bosniak seat; Zeljko KOMSIC (DF) 55.8% - Croat seat; Zeljka CVIJANOVIC (SNSD) 51.7% - Serb seat 2018: percent of vote - Milorad DODIK (SNSD) 53.9% - Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC (DF) 52.6% - Croat seat; Sefik DZAFEROVIC (SDA) 36.6% - Bosniak seat

election/appointment process

3-member presidency (1 Bosniak and 1 Croat elected from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 1 Serb elected from the Republika Srpska) directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term but then ineligible for 4 years); the presidency chairpersonship rotates every 8 months, with the new member of the presidency elected with the highest number of votes starting the new mandate as chair; the chairperson of the Council of Ministers appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the state-level House of Representatives

expected date of next election

October 2026

head of government

Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Borjana KRISTO (since 25 January 2023)

most recent election date

2 October 2022

Flag

description: a wide blue vertical band on the right side, with a large yellow isosceles triangle in the middle of the flag, based at the top; the rest of the flag is blue, with seven five-pointed white stars and two half-stars along the triangle's hypotenuse meaning: the triangle approximates the country's shape, and its three points stand for the Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs; the stars represent Europe; the colors (white, blue, and yellow) are traditional and are also associated with neutrality and peace

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); Court of BiH (consists of 44 national judges and 7 international judges organized into 3 divisions - Administrative, Appellate, and Criminal, which includes a War Crimes Chamber)

judge selection and term of office

BiH Constitutional Court judges - 4 selected by the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina House of Representatives, 2 selected by the Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and 3 non-Bosnian judges selected by the president of the European Court of Human Rights; Court of BiH president and national judges appointed by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council; Court of BiH president appointed for renewable 6-year term; other national judges appointed to serve until age 70; international judges recommended by the president of the Court of BiH and appointed by the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina; international judges appointed to serve until age 70

subordinate courts

the Federation has 10 cantonal courts plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska has a supreme court, 5 district courts, and a number of municipal courts

Legal system

civil law system; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Parliamentary Assembly (Skupstina)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Representatives (Predstavnicki dom)

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

October 2026

most recent election date

2/16/2023

number of seats

42 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Party of Democratic Action (SDA) (9); Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) (6); Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SDP) (5); HDZ BiH, HSS, HSP BiH, HKDU, HSPAS, HDU, HSPHB, HRAST (4); Democratic Front (DF) - Civic Alliance (GS) (3); People and Justice (NAROD I PRAVDA) (3); (3); Republican Party of the Social Order (PROS) (3); Other (15)

percentage of women in chamber

19%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

House of Peoples (Dom Naroda)

expected date of next election

February 2027

most recent election date

10/2/2022

number of seats

15 (all appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

6.7%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

music adopted 1999; lyrics proposed in 2009 were accepted by a parliamentary commission but are still awaiting adoption, so the anthem remains officially wordless

lyrics/music

none officially/Dusan SESTIC

title

"Drzavna himna Bosne i Hercegovine" (The National Anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

National color(s)

blue, yellow, white

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Old Bridge Area of Mostar (c); Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad (c); Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards (c); Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe - Janj Forest (n); Vjetrenica Cave, Ravno (n)

total World Heritage Sites

5 (3 cultural, 2 natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 March (1992) and Statehood Day, 25 November (1943) - both observed in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity; Victory Day, 9 May (1945) and Dayton Agreement Day, 21 November (1995) - both observed in the Republika Srpska entity

National symbol(s)

golden lily

Political parties

Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD  Bosnian-Herzegovinian Initiative or BHI KF  Civic Alliance or GS  Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BiH  Democratic Front or DF  Democratic Union or DEMOS For Justice and Order Our Party or NS/HC  Party for Democratic Action or SDA  Party of Democratic Progress or PDP  People and Justice Party or NiP People's European Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or NES  Serb Democratic Party or SDS  Social Democratic Party or SDP United Srpska or US

Suffrage

18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal

Agricultural products

maize, milk, vegetables, potatoes, plums, wheat, apples, barley, chicken, tomatoes (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

7.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

32.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$10.463 billion (2023 est.)

revenues

$10.196 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

-$1.078 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$638.769 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$1.176 billion (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$5.359 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

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

Exchange rates

Currency

konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

1.717 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1.654 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1.859 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1.809 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

1.808 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$11.838 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$12.126 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$12.141 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

footwear, electricity, garments, plastic products, insulated wire (2023)

Exports - partners

Germany 15%, Croatia 14%, Serbia 12%, Austria 10%, Slovenia 9% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

43.9% (2023 est.)

government consumption

19.1% (2023 est.)

household consumption

68.3% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-55.7% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23.1% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

3.2% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

4.3% (2024 est.)

industry

22% (2024 est.)

services

58% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$28.343 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$15.166 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$15.37 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$16.202 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, garments, plastic products, packaged medicine (2023)

Imports - partners

Italy 13%, Germany 11%, Serbia 11%, China 9%, Croatia 8% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-2.4% (2024 est.)

Industries

steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, ammunition, domestic appliances, oil refining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

14% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

6.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.7% (2024 est.)

Labor force

1.356 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

16.9% (2015 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2023

40.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$61.843 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$63.077 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$64.641 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.2% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

2.5% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$19,300 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$19,800 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$20,400 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

10.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

10.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

11% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$8.762 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$9.205 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$9.419 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.1% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

12.7% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

10.7% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

10.8% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

30.9% (2024 est.)

male

25.4% (2024 est.)

total

27.3% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

12.304 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

1.254 million metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

1.327 million metric tons (2023 est.)

production

12.311 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

2.264 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

12.867 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

7.104 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

3.6 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

4.682 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.339 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

64% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

31.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

91.227 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

228.855 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

228.855 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

34,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

29 (2023 est.)

total

908,000 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

3 public TV broadcasters: Radio and TV of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federation TV (operating 2 networks), and Republika Srpska Radio-TV; a local commercial network of 5 TV stations; 3 private, near-national TV stations and dozens of small independent TV stations; 3 large public radio broadcasters and many private radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.ba

Internet users

percent of population

83% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

583,000 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

121 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

3.84 million (2024 est.)

Airports

20 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

T9

Heliports

3 (2025)

Ports

key ports

Neum

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

0

small

1

total ports

1 (2024)

very small

0

Railways

standard gauge

965 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (565 km electrified)

total

965 km (2014)

Military - note

the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) are responsible for territorial defense, providing assistance to civil authorities during disasters or other emergencies, and participating in collective security and peace support operations; each of the AFBiH's three combat brigades are headquartered inside of their respective ethnicity territory, while its main headquarters is in Sarajevo; Bosnia and Herzegovina aspires to join NATO; Bosnia and Herzegovina joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in 2006 and was invited to join NATO’s Membership Action Plan in 2010; the AFBiH is undergoing a 10-year (2017-2027) defense modernization and reform program for preparing to join and integrate with NATO; it has contributed small numbers of troops to EU, NATO, and UN missions NATO maintains a military headquarters in Sarajevo with the mission of assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina with the PfP program and promoting closer integration with NATO, as well as providing logistics and other support to the EU Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR), which has operated in the country to oversee implementation of the Dayton/Paris Agreement since taking over from NATO's Stabilization Force (SFOR) in 2004 (2025)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH or Oruzanih Snaga Bosne i Hercegovine, OSBiH): Army, Air, Air Defense forces organized into an Operations Command and a Support Command Ministry of Security: Border Police (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 10,000 active duty Armed Forces (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory of weapons and equipment is a combination of material originating from the former Soviet Union/former Yugoslavia and some newer acquisitions from suppliers such as Türkiye, the UK, and the US (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

0.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

0.8% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 -27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in January 2006 (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

94,796 (2024 est.)

refugees

685 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

23 (2024 est.)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

19.292 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

436,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

4.785 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

24.513 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air pollution; deforestation and illegal logging; inadequate wastewater treatment and flood management facilities; urban waste disposal; uncleared land mines from the 1990s

International environmental agreements

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

Particulate matter emissions

26.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

37.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

industrial

475 million cubic meters (2022)

municipal

320 million cubic meters (2022)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1.249 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

23.8% (2022 est.)