2021 Edition

Background

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." An original NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops assembled in 1995 was succeeded over time by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. Currently, EUFOR deploys around 600 troops in theater in a security assistance and training capacity.

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, and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east

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

42.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 19.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 20.5% (2018 est.)

forest

42.8% (2018 est.)

other

15% (2018 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

13.18% (male 261,430/female 244,242)

15-24 years

10.83% (male 214,319/female 201,214)

25-54 years

44.52% (male 859,509/female 848,071)

55-64 years

15.24% (male 284,415/female 300,168)

65 years and over

16.22% (male 249,624/female 372,594) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

8.5 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.6% (2012)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

45.8% (2011/12)

Current Health Expenditure

8.9% (2018)

Death rate

10.25 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

26.5

potential support ratio

3.8 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

48

youth dependency ratio

21.5

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

note

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

Hospital bed density

3.5 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant mortality rate

female

5.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

5.44 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.32 deaths/1,000 live births

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/Montenegrin)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

80.93 years (2021 est.)

male

74.76 years

total population

77.74 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.5% (2015)

male

99.5%

total population

98.5%

Major urban areas - population

344,000 SARAJEVO (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

10 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

44.8 years (2020 est.)

male

41.6 years

total

43.3 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

27.7 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Bosnian, Herzegovinian

noun

Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

17.9% (2016)

Physicians density

2.16 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

3,824,782 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

-0.21% (2021 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: rural

rural: 92.1% of population

improved: total

total: 95.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 7.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 4.5% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.1% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2014)

male

14 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.07 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.07 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.67 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.35 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

42.8% (2020 est.)

male

32.5%

total

36.6%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

49.4% of total population (2021)

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 noun "saray," meaning "palace" or "mansion," and the term "ova," signifying "plain(s)," to give a meaning of "palace plains" or "the plains about the palace"

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

amendments

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; amended several times, last in 2009

history

14 December 1995 (constitution included as part of the Dayton Peace Accords); note - each of the political entities has its own constitution

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 German word "herzog," meaning "duke," and the ending "-ovina," meaning "land," forming the combination denoting "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 Eric NELSON (since 19 February 2019)

email address and website

sarajevoACS@state.govhttps://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 Bojan VUJIC (since 16 September 2019)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, New York

email address and website

consularaffairs@bhembassy; info@bhembassy.orghttp://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 chairman, approved by the state-level House of Representatives

chief of state

Chairman of the Presidency Zeljko KOMSIC  (chairman since 20 July 2021; presidency member since 20 November 2018 - Croat seat); Sefik DZAFEROVIC (presidency member since 20 November 2018 - Bosniak seat); Milorad DODIK (presidency member since 20 November 2018 - Serb seat)

election results

2018: percent of vote - Milorad DODIK (SNSD) 53.9% - Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC (DF) 52.6% - Croat seat; Sefik DZAFEROVIC (SDA) 36.6% - Bosniak seat2014: percent of vote - Mladen IVANIC (PDP) 48.7% - Serb seat; Dragan COVIC (HDZ-BiH) 52.2% - Croat seat; Bakir IZETBEGOVIC (SDA) 32.9% - Bosniak seat

elections/appointments

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; election last held on 7 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2022); the chairman of the Council of Ministers appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the state-level House of Representatives

head of government

Chairman of the Council of Ministers Zoran TEGELTIJA  (since 5 December 2019)

note

note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Marinko CAVARA (since 9 February 2015); Vice Presidents Melika MAHMUTBEGOVIC (since 9 February 2015), Milan DUNOVIC (since 9 February 2015); President of the Republika Srpska Zeljka CVIJANOVIC (since 18 November 2018); Vice Presidents Ramiz SALKIC (since 24 November 2014), Josip JERKOVIC (since 24 November 2014)

Flag description

a wide blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the remainder of the flag is blue with seven full five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the triangle; the triangle approximates the shape of the country and its three points stand for the constituent peoples - Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs; the stars represent Europe and are meant to be continuous (thus the half stars at top and bottom); the colors (white, blue, and yellow) are often associated with neutrality and peace, and traditionally are linked with Bosnia

note

note: one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of Brazil, Eritrea, and Vanuatu

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia); note - referendum for independence completed on 1 March 1992; independence declared on 3 March 1992

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, MINUSMA, 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 courts

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

description

bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of:House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members designated by the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's House of Peoples and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve 4-year terms)House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats to include 28 seats allocated to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 to the Republika Srpska; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a bicameral legislature that consists of the House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 Serb, 7 other) and the House of Representatives (98 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); Republika Srpska's unicameral legislature is the National Assembly (83 directly elected delegates serve 4-year terms)

election results

House of Peoples - percent of vote by coalition/party - NA; seats by coalition/party - NA; composition - men 13, women 2, percent of women 13.3%House of Representatives - percent of vote by coalition/party - SDA 17%, SNSD 16%, SDS/NDP/NS/SRS-VS 9.8%, SDP 9.1%, HDZ-BiH/HSS/HKDU/HSP-AS BiH/HDU BiH 9.1%, DF, 5.8%, PDP 5.1%, DNS 4.2%, SBB BiH 4.2%, NS/HC 2.9%, NB 2.5%, PDA 2.3%, SP 1.9%, A-SDA 1.8%, other 17.4%; seats by coalition/party - SDA 9, SNSD 6, SDP 5, HDZ-BiH/HSS/HKDU/HSP-AS BiH/HDU BiH 5, SDS/NDP/NS/SRS-VS 3, DF 3, PDP 2, SBB BiH 2, NS/HC 2, DNS 1, NB 1 PDA 1, SP 1, A-SDA 1; composition - men 33, women 9, percent of women 21.4%; note - total Parliamentary Assembly percent of women 19.3%

elections

House of Peoples - last held on 18 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2022)House of Representatives - last held on 7 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2022)

National anthem

lyrics/music

none officially; Dusan SESTIC and Benjamin ISOVIC/Dusan SESTIC

name

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

note

note: music adopted 1999; lyrics proposed in 2009 and others in 2016 were not approved; a parliamentary committee launched a new initiative for lyrics in February 2018

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

note

note: there is no national-level holiday

National symbol(s)

golden lily; national colors: blue, yellow, white

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for a Better Future of BiH or SBB BiH [Fahrudin RADONCIC]Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK]Alternative Party for Democratic Activity or A-SDA [Nermin OGRESEVIC] (merged with Independent Bosnian Herzegovinian List to form NES)Croat Peasants' Party or HSS [Mario KARAMATIC]Croatian Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HKDU [Ivan MUSA]Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDU-BiH [Miro GRABOVAC-TITAN]Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BiH [Dragan COVIC]Croatian Democratic Union 1990 or HDZ-1990 [Ilija CVITANOVIC]Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starcevic or HSP-AS Bih [Stanko PRIMORAC]Democratic Alliance or DEMOS [Nedeljko CUBRILOVIC]Democratic Front of DF [Zeljko KOMSIC]Democratic Peoples' Alliance or DNS [Nenad NESIC]Independent Bloc or NB [Senad SEPIC]Movement for Democratic Action or PDA [Mirsad KUKIC]People and Justice Party or NiP [elmedin KONAKOVIC]People's European Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or NES [Nermin OGRESEVIC]Progressive Srpska or NS [Goran DORDIC]Our Party or NS/HC [Edin FORTO]Party for Democratic Action or SDA [Bakir IZETBEGOVIC]Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Branislav BORENOVIC]People's Democratic Movement or NDP [Dragan CAVIC]Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Mirko SAROVIC]Serb Radical Party-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [Vojislav SESELJ] (merged with PDP)Social Democratic Party or SDP [Nermin NIKSIC]Socialist Party or SP [Petar DOKIC]United Srpska or US [Nenad STEVANDIC]

Suffrage

18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal

Agricultural products

maize, milk, vegetables, potatoes, wheat, plums/sloes, apples, barley, cabbages, poultry

Budget

expenditures

7.607 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

7.993 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

2.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Moody's rating

B3 (2012)

Standard & Poors rating

B (2011)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$821 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$873 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$10.64 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$10.87 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a transitional economy with limited market reforms. The economy relies heavily on the export of metals, energy, textiles, and furniture as well as on remittances and foreign aid. A highly decentralized government hampers economic policy coordination and reform, while excessive bureaucracy and a segmented market discourage foreign investment. The economy is among the least competitive in the region. Foreign banks, primarily from Austria and Italy, control much of the banking sector, though the largest bank is a private domestic one. The konvertibilna marka (convertible mark) - the national currency introduced in 1998 - is pegged to the euro through a currency board arrangement, which has maintained confidence in the currency and has facilitated reliable trade links with European partners. Bosnia and Herzegovina became a full member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement in September 2007. In 2016, Bosnia began a three-year IMF loan program, but it has struggled to meet the economic reform benchmarks required to receive all funding installments.Bosnia and Herzegovina's private sector is growing slowly, but foreign investment dropped sharply after 2007 and remains low. High unemployment remains the most serious macroeconomic problem. Successful implementation of a value-added tax in 2006 provided a steady source of revenue for the government and helped rein in gray-market activity, though public perceptions of government corruption and misuse of taxpayer money has encouraged a large informal economy to persist. National-level statistics have improved over time, but a large share of economic activity remains unofficial and unrecorded.Bosnia and Herzegovina's top economic priorities are: acceleration of integration into the EU; strengthening the fiscal system; public administration reform; World Trade Organization membership; and securing economic growth by fostering a dynamic, competitive private sector.

Exchange rates

currency

konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

1.4718 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

1.7626 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

1.7674 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

1.7674 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

1.729 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$8.57 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$8.17 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$6.81 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

electricity, seating, leather shoes, furniture, insulated wiring (2019)

Exports - partners

Germany 14%, Italy 12%, Croatia 11%, Serbia 11%, Austria 9%, Slovenia 8% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

38.7% (2017 est.)

government consumption

20% (2017 est.)

household consumption

77.4% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-55.1% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

16.6% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

2.3% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

6.8% (2017 est.)

industry

28.9% (2017 est.)

services

64.3% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$20.078 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2007

33.1 (2007)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2011

33 (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

25.8% (2011 est.)

lowest 10%

2.9%

Imports

Imports 2018

$11.55 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$11.15 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$9.71 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, coal, electricity (2019)

Imports - partners

Croatia 15%, Serbia 13%, Germany 10%, Italy 9%, Slovenia 7%, China 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

3% (2017 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) 2016

-1.1% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.2% (2017 est.)

Labor force

806,000 (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

18%

industry

30.4%

services

51.7% (2017 est.)

Population below poverty line

16.9% (2015 est.)

Public debt

note

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.

Public debt 2016

44.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

39.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$47.82 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$49.17 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$47.05 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

3.1% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

3.2% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

3% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$14,400 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$14,900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$14,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$5.137 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$6.474 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

44% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: official rate; actual rate is lower as many technically unemployed persons work in the gray economy

Unemployment rate 2018

35.97% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate 2019

33.28% (2019 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

42.8% (2020 est.)

male

32.5%

total

36.6%

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

18,480 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

11.87 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

6.007 billion kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

49% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

51% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

3.084 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

4.676 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

16.99 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Natural gas - consumption

226.5 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

226.5 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

32,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

4,603 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

18,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

23.49 (2020 est.)

total

770,624 (2020)

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 broadcasting stations; 3 large public radio broadcasters and many private radio stations

Internet country code

.ba

Internet users

percent of population

73.21% (2020 est.)

total

2.32 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity roughly 24 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing rapidly and stands at roughly 112 telephones per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

Bosnia-Herzegovina aims for national LTE coverage through integration with European Union (EU); roaming agreements with EU and Balkan neighbors; fixed-line broadband is underdeveloped, investments in mobile upgrades facilitate broadband connectivity to a greater extent than in Europe; DSL and cable are the main platforms for fixed-line connectivity while fiber broadband has a small market presence; operators support broadband in rural areas where fixed-line infrastructure is insufficient; LTE services under test licenses; 5G awaits market maturity; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2021)

international

country code - 387; no satellite earth stations

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

5.12 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

706,135 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

107 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

3,509,674 (2020)

Airports

total

24 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

2,438 to 3,047 m

4

total

7

under 914 m

2 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

5

total

17

under 914 m

11 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

T9

Heliports

6 (2013)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

87 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

7,070 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

1

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Pipelines

147 km gas, 9 km oil (2013)

Ports and terminals

river port(s)

Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, Brcko, Orasje (Sava River)

Railways

standard gauge

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

total

965 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

19,426 km (4,652 km of interurban roads) (2010)

total

22,926 km (2010)

unpaved

3,500 km (2010)

Waterways

(Sava River on northern border; open to shipping but use limited) (2011)

Military - note

the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina are comprised of the former Bosnian-Croat Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Vojska Federacije Bosne i Hercegovin, VF) and the Bosnian-Serb Republic of Serbia Army (Vojska Republike Srpske, VRS); the two forces were unified under the 2003 Law on Defense, which also established the country’s Ministry of Defense Bosnia and Herzegovina joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in 2007 and was invited to join NATO’s Membership Action Plan in 2010; as of 2021, NATO maintained 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 European Union Force deployed there  

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Oruzanih Snaga Bosne i Hercegovine, OSBiH): Operations Command (includes Army, Air, and Air Defense units), Support Command (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina have approximately 9,000 active duty personnel (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the inventory for the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina includes mainly Soviet-era weapons systems with a small and varied mix of older European and US equipment (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2017

0.9% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

0.9% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.9% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.9% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 35 or after 15 years of service for E-1 through E-4, mandatory retirement at age 50 and 30 years of service for E-5 through E-9, mandatory retirement at age 55 and 30 years of service for all officers; conscription abolished in 2005 (2019)

Disputes - international

Serbia delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute

Illicit drugs

drug trafficking groups are major players in the procurement and transportation of large quantities of cocaine  destined for  European markets

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

99,000 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks displaced by inter-ethnic violence, human rights violations, and armed conflict during the 1992-95 war) (2020)

note

note: 85,765 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-December 2021)

refugees (country of origin)

5,112 (Croatia) (2020)

stateless persons

66 (2020)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosnians and Herzegovinians abroad; Bosnian and foreign women and girls are sex trafficked within the country; Bosnians are also exploited through forced labor in construction and other industries in neighboring Balkan countries and throughout Europe; thousands of migrants and refugees smuggled through Bosnia and Herzegovina are vulnerable to trafficking, especially women and unaccompanied minors; Romani children are victims of forced begging, sex trafficking, and domestic servitude

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Bosnia and Herzegovina does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; because the government devoted sufficient resources to a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute significant efforts to meet minimum standards, Bosnia and Herzegovina was granted a waiver from being downgraded to Tier 3; the government adopted a national strategy in January 2020; the State Prosecutor’s Office appointed a prosecutor to the anti-trafficking strike force, the only mechanism to coordinate law enforcement efforts across entities on trafficking cases; the government identified more trafficking victims and revised the structure and guidelines of regional coordinating teams to increase effectiveness; however, the lack of an approved state budget delayed funding for anti-trafficking efforts; law enforcement continued to regularly investigate trafficking under lesser offenses, while judges continued to issue sentences below the minimum penalty; the government continued to penalize victims and did not disburse annual funds to NGOs for victim protection (2020)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

21.85 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

2.92 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

27.25 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

42.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 19.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 20.5% (2018 est.)

forest

42.8% (2018 est.)

other

15% (2018 est.)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0.34% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.49% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

37.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

industrial

71.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

360.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

49.4% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

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.)