2023 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." In 1995, the NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops enforced the peace, but was replaced the next year by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. Currently, EUFOR deploys around 1,200 troops in Bosnia in a peacekeeping capacity.

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

13.14% (male 258,937/female 241,581)

15-64 years

69% (male 1,319,995/female 1,307,304)

65 years and over

17.86% (2023 est.) (male 277,555/female 402,392)

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

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

Contraceptive prevalence rate

45.8% (2011/12)

Current health expenditure

9.8% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

63.8% (2023 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

27.1

potential support ratio

3.7 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

48

youth dependency ratio

22.3

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 (2020 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

Gross reproduction rate

0.66 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.5 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant mortality rate

female

5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

5.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 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

81.4 years

male

75.3 years

total population

78.2 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.1% (2021)

male

99.4%

total population

98.1%

Major urban areas - population

346,000 SARAJEVO (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

46.1 years

male

42.7 years

total

44.4 years (2023 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

-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

17.9% (2016)

Physicians density

2.16 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

3,807,764 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

-0.23% (2023 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: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: 99.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: (2020 est.) NA

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.5% 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

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.69 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

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

Tobacco use

female

28% (2020 est.)

male

42% (2020 est.)

total

35% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.37 children born/woman (2023 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 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 Michael J. MURPHY (since 23 February 2022)

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 Sven ALKALAJ (since 30 June 2023)

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 16 July 2023; presidency member since 20 November 2018 - Croat seat); Zeljka CVIJANOVIC (presidency member since 16 November 2022 - Serb seat); Denis BECIROVIC (presidency member since 16 November 2022 - Bosniak 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 seat2018: percent of vote - Milorad DODIK (SNSD) 53.9% - Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC (DF) 52.6% - Croat seat; Sefik DZAFEROVIC (SDA) 36.6% - 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 2 October 2022 (next to be held in October 2026); 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 Borjana KRISTO (since 25 January 2023)

note

note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Lidiia BRADARA (since 28 February 2023); Vice Presidents Refik LENDO (since 28 February 2023) and Igor STOJANOVIC (since 28 February 2023); President of the Republika Srpska Milorad DODIK (since 15 November 2022); Vice Presidents Camil DURAKOVIC (since 15 November 2022) and Davor PRANJIC (since 15 November 2022)

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, 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)

note

note: Bosnia-Herzegovina is an EU candidate country whose satisfactory completion of accession criteria is required before being granted full EU membership

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

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 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 (80 seats - 23 Bosniak, 23 Croat, 23 Serb, 11 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 or Narodna skupština Republike Srpske (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 12, women 3, percent of women 20%House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - SDA 17.2%, SNSD 16.3%, HDZ BiH 8.8%, SDP 8.2%, SDS 7.1%, DF-GS 6.4%, NiP 5%, PDP 4.6%, NS/HC 3.1%, NES 3%, For Justice and Order 2.1%, DEMOS 1.9%, US 1.6%, BHI KF 1.3%, other 13.4%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9, SNSD 6, SDP 5, HDZ BiH 4, DF-GS 3, NiP 3, SDS 2, PDP 2, NS/HC 2, NES 2, For Justice and Order 1, DEMOS 1, US 1, BHI KF 1; composition - men 31, women 11, percent of women 26.2%; note - total Parliamentary Assembly percent of women 24.6%

elections

House of Peoples - last held on 2 October 2022 (next to be held in 2026)House of Representatives - last held on 2 October 2022 (next to be held in 2026)

National anthem

lyrics/music

none officially/Dusan SESTIC

name

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

note

note: music adopted 1999; lyrics proposed in 2008 and others in 2016 were not approved

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Old Bridge Area of Mostar (c); Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge (c); Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards (c); Primeval Beech Forests - Janj Forest (n)

total World Heritage Sites

4 (3 cultural, 1 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

note

note: there is no national-level holiday

National symbol(s)

golden lily; national colors: blue, yellow, white

Political parties and leaders

Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK]Bosnian-Herzegovinian Initiative or BHI KF [Fuad KASUMOVIC]Civic Alliance or GS [Reuf BAJROVIC]Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BiH [Dragan COVIC]Democratic Front or DF [Zeljko KOMSIC]Democratic Union or DEMOS [Nedeljko CUBRILOVIC]For Justice and Order [Nebojsa VUKANOVIC]Our Party or NS/HC [Edin FORTO]Party for Democratic Action or SDA [Bakir IZETBEGOVIC]Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Branislav BORENOVIC]People and Justice Party or NiP [Elmedin KONAKOVIC]People's European Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or NES [Nermin OGRESEVIC]Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Milan MILICEVIC]Social Democratic Party or SDP [Nermin NIKSIC]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

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

9.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

30.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$8.154 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$8.434 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

2.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Moody's rating

B3 (2012)

note

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

Standard & Poors rating

B (2011)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$531.917 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$658.601 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$557.887 million (2021 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

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 2017

1.735 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

1.657 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

1.747 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1.717 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1.654 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$8.199 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$6.936 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$9.948 billion (2021 est.)

note

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

Exports - commodities

electricity, seating, insulated wiring, lumber, furniture (2021)

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 2011

33 (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

25.8% (2011 est.)

lowest 10%

2.9%

Imports

Imports 2019

$11.156 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$9.726 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$12.726 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

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

8.87% (2021 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) 2019

0.56% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

-1.05% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

1.98% (2021 est.)

Labor force

1.169 million (2021 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 2018

45.56% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

44.63% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

46.05% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$49.183 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$47.649 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$51.244 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.83% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-3.12% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

7.55% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$14,600 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$14,400 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$15,700 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$7.208 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$8.707 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$9.475 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.01% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

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

Unemployment rate 2019

15.69% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

15.27% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

15.22% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

39.9%

male

28.2%

total

32.9% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

10.923 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

415,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

4.871 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

16.209 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

7.752 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

525,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

1.366 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

6.966 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

2.264 billion metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

11,657,450,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

7.316 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

3.266 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

4.775 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.257 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

62.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

35.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

1.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

71.815 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

218.266 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

218.266 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

13,900 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

34,700 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 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

24 (2020 est.)

total

770,424 (2020 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 broadcasting stations; 3 large public radio broadcasters and many private radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.ba

Internet users

percent of population

76% (2021 est.)

total

2.508 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity roughly 21 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscribership stands at 114 telephones per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

the telecom market has been liberalized and a regulatory framework created based on the EU’s regulatory framework for communications; although Bosnia-Herzegovina remains an EU candidate country, in July 2017 it applied amended mobile roaming charges to fit in with changes introduced across the Union; further roaming agreements were made in 2019 with other western Balkan countries; the fixed-line broadband network is comparatively underdeveloped, with the result that investments made in mobile upgrades to facilitate broadband connectivity in the country to a greater extent than is common elsewhere in Europe; internet services are available; DSL and cable are the main platforms for fixed-line connectivity, while fiber broadband as yet has only a small market presence; the three MNOs, each affiliated with one of the incumbent fixed-line operators, provide national coverage with 3G, though LTE coverage is only about 89%; their upgraded networks are helping to support broadband in rural areas where fixed-line infrastructure is insufficient; mobile data and mobile broadband offers will provide future revenue growth given the limited potential of mobile voice services; the MNOs tested LTE services under trial licenses from 2013, commercial launches were delayed until the award of spectrum in early 2019; the regulator stipulated that licenses must provide national coverage within five years; trials of 5G technology have been undertaken, though there are no plans to launch services commercially in the short term, given that the MNOs can continue to exploit the capacity of their existing LTE networks (2021)

international

country code - 387; no satellite earth stations

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

21 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

689,295 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

114 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

3,728,775 (2021 est.)

Airports

24 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

7

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

17

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

T9

Heliports

6 (2021)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

87 (2015) mt-km

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

total

965 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

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

total

22,926 km (2010)

unpaved

3,500 km (2010)

Waterways

990 km (2022) (Sava River on northern border; open to shipping but use limited)

Military - note

the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) 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 2006 Law on Defense, and the combined force includes each ethnic group; the 2006 law also established the country’s Ministry of Defensethe AFBiH is responsible for territorial defense, providing assistance to civil authorities during disasters or other emergencies, and participating in collective security and peace support operations; it is a compact and professional force organized into five brigades under an Operational Command: three infantry, one tactical support, and one air and air defense; each of the infantry brigades is headquartered inside of their respective ethnicity territory, while the Operational Command is in Sarajevo; Bosnia and Herzegovina aspires to join NATO; it joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in 2007 and was invited to join NATO’s Membership Action Plan in 2010; the AFBiH is undergoing a 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 missionsNATO 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; EUFOR has about 1,100 troops from 22 countries (2023)

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 (2023)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 10,000 active-duty personnel (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory is largely Soviet-era material with a smaller mix of mostly secondhand from other countries, particularly the US (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

0.9% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.8% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.9% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.9% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2005 (2023)

note

note: as of 2022, women made up about 7% of the military's full-time personnel

Disputes - international

Bosnia and Herzegovina-Serbia: Serbia delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute.Bosnia and Herzegovina-Croatia: none identifiedBosnia and Herzegovina-Montenegro: none identified

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

91,000 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks displaced by inter-ethnic violence, human rights violations, and armed conflict during the 1992-95 war) (2022)

note

note: 142,338 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-November 2023)

stateless persons

48 (2022)

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

26.19 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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

0.34% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.49% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

37.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

industrial

60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

310 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

50.3% of total population (2023)

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.)