2023 Edition

Background

The western Balkans were part of the Roman and Byzantine Empires before ethnic Serbs migrated to the territories of modern Kosovo in the 7th century. During the medieval period, Kosovo became the center of a Serbian Empire and saw the construction of many important Serb religious sites, including many architecturally significant Serbian Orthodox monasteries. The defeat of Serbian forces at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 led to five centuries of Ottoman rule during which large numbers of Turks and Albanians moved to Kosovo. By the end of the 19th century, Albanians replaced Serbs as the dominant ethnic group in Kosovo. Serbia reacquired control over the region from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War of 1912. After World War II, Kosovo's present-day boundaries were established when Kosovo became an autonomous province of Serbia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (S.F.R.Y.). Due at least in part to discrimination against ethnic Albanians by Belgrade, Albanian nationalism increased in the 1980s, which led to riots and calls for Kosovo's independence. In 1989, Belgrade instituted a new constitution revoking Kosovo's autonomous status. Kosovo's Albanian leaders responded in 1991 by organizing a referendum declaring Kosovo independent. Belgrade undertook repressive measures against the Kosovo Albanians in the 1990s, provoking a Kosovo Albanian insurgency. Beginning in 1998, Yugoslavia conducted a brutal counterinsurgency campaign that resulted in massacres and massive expulsions of ethnic Albanians (some 800,000 ethnic Albanians were forced from their homes in Kosovo). After international attempts to mediate the conflict failed, a three-month NATO military operation against Yugoslavia beginning in March 1999 forced Belgrade to agree to withdraw its military and police forces from Kosovo. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) placed Kosovo under a transitional administration, the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, pending a determination of Kosovo's future status. A UN-led process began in late 2005 to determine Kosovo's final status. The 2006-07 negotiations ended without agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, though the UN issued a comprehensive report on Kosovo's final status that endorsed independence. On 17 February 2008, the Kosovo Assembly declared Kosovo independent. Since then, close to 100 countries have recognized Kosovo, and it has joined numerous international organizations. In October 2008, Serbia sought an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality under international law of Kosovo's declaration of independence. The ICJ released an advisory opinion in July 2010 affirming that Kosovo's declaration of independence did not violate general principles of international law, UN Security Council Resolution 1244, or the Constitutive Framework. The opinion was closely tailored to Kosovo's unique history and circumstances. Demonstrating Kosovo’s development into a sovereign, multi-ethnic, democratic country, the international community ended the period of Supervised Independence in 2012. Kosovo held its most recent national and municipal elections in 2021, ushering in a government led by the Self-Determination Movement's (VV) Albin KURTI, a former political prisoner who did not fight in the 1998-99 war. Serbia continues to reject Kosovo's independence, but the two countries began EU-facilitated discussions in April 2013 to normalize their relations, which produced several subsequent agreements the parties have implemented to varying degrees, though they have not yet reached a comprehensive agreement on the normalization of relations. Kosovo has pursued bilateral recognitions and memberships in international organizations, moves that Serbia strongly opposes. Kosovo signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU in 2015, and the EU named Kosovo as among the six Western Balkan countries that will be able to join the organization once it meets the criteria to accede. Kosovo also seeks memberships in the UN and in NATO.

Area

land

10,887 sq km

total

10,887 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Delaware

Climate

influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Gjeravica/Deravica 2,656 m

lowest point

Drini i Bardhe/Beli Drim (located on the border with Albania) 297 m

mean elevation

450 m

Geographic coordinates

42 35 N, 21 00 E

Geography - note

the 41-km long Nerodimka River divides into two branches each of which flows into a different sea: the northern branch flows into the Sitnica River, which via the Ibar, Morava, and Danube Rivers ultimately flows into the Black Sea; the southern branch flows via the Lepenac and Vardar Rivers into the Aegean Sea

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

border countries

Albania 112 km; North Macedonia 160 km; Montenegro 76 km; Serbia 366 km

total

714 km

Land use

agricultural land

52.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 27.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 23.5% (2018 est.)

forest

41.7% (2018 est.)

other

5.5% (2018 est.)

Location

Southeastern Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia

Major watersheds (area sq km)

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite

Population distribution

population clusters exist throughout the country, the largest being in the east in and around the capital of Pristina

Terrain

flat fluvial basin at an elevation of 400-700 m above sea level surrounded by several high mountain ranges with elevations of 2,000 to 2,500 m

Age structure

0-14 years

23.1% (male 235,379/female 218,359)

15-64 years

68.75% (male 706,495/female 643,982)

65 years and over

8.15% (2023 est.) (male 69,676/female 90,436)

Birth rate

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

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

14.6

potential support ratio

6.9 (2021)

total dependency ratio

46.9

youth dependency ratio

32.3

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: NA

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Albanians 92.9%, Bosniaks 1.6%, Serbs 1.5%, Turk 1.1%, Ashkali 0.9%, Egyptian 0.7%, Gorani 0.6%, Romani 0.5%, other/unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)

note

note: these estimates may under-represent Serb, Romani, and some other ethnic minorities because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Romani communities in southern Kosovo

Gross reproduction rate

0.91 (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

23.4 deaths/1,000 live births

male

26.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

Languages

Albanian (official) 94.5%, Bosnian 1.7%, Serbian (official) 1.6%, Turkish 1.1%, other 0.9% (includes Romani), unspecified 0.1%; note - in municipalities where a community's mother tongue is not one of Kosovo's official languages, the language of that community may be given official status according to the 2006 Law on the Use of Languagesnote: these estimates may under-represent Serb, Romani, and some other ethnic minority languages because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Romani communities in southern Kosovo (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s)

Libri i fakteve boterore, burimi i pazevendesueshem per informacione elementare (Albanian)Knjiga svetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Serbian)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.5 years

male

69.9 years

total population

72.2 years (2023 est.)

Major urban areas - population

218,782 PRISTINA (capital) (2020)

Median age

female

32 years

male

31.3 years

total

31.7 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Kosovan

note

note: Kosovo, a neutral term, is sometimes also used as a noun or adjective as in Kosovo Albanian, Kosovo Serb, Kosovo minority, or Kosovo citizen

noun

Kosovan

Net migration rate

-0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Physicians density

NA

Population

1,964,327 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

population clusters exist throughout the country, the largest being in the east in and around the capital of Pristina

Population growth rate

0.62% (2023 est.)

Religions

Muslim 95.6%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, Orthodox 1.5%, other 0.1%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)

note

note: these estimates may under-represent Serb, Romani, and some other ethnic minorities because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Romani communities in southern Kosovo

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: NA

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.08 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.77 male(s)/female

at birth

1.08 male(s)/female

total population

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

Total fertility rate

1.88 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Administrative divisions

38 municipalities (komunat, singular - komuna (Albanian); opstine, singular - opstina (Serbian)); Decan (Decani), Dragash (Dragas), Ferizaj (Urosevac), Fushe Kosove (Kosovo Polje), Gjakove (Dakovica), Gjilan (Gnjilane), Gllogovc (Glogovac), Gracanice (Gracanica), Hani i Elezit (Deneral Jankovic), Istog (Istok), Junik, Kacanik, Kamenice (Kamenica), Kline (Klina), Kllokot (Klokot), Leposaviq (Leposavic), Lipjan (Lipljan), Malisheve (Malisevo), Mamushe (Mamusa), Mitrovice e Jugut (Juzna Mitrovica) [South Mitrovica], Mitrovice e Veriut (Severna Mitrovica) [North Mitrovica], Novoberde (Novo Brdo), Obiliq (Obilic), Partesh (Partes), Peje (Pec), Podujeve (Podujevo), Prishtine (Pristina), Prizren, Rahovec (Orahovac), Ranillug (Ranilug), Shterpce (Strpce), Shtime (Stimlje), Skenderaj (Srbica), Suhareke (Suva Reka), Viti (Vitina), Vushtrri (Vucitrn), Zubin Potok, Zvecan

Capital

daylight saving time

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

etymology

the name may derive from a Proto-Slavic word reconstructed as "pryshchina," meaning "spring (of water)"

geographic coordinates

42 40 N, 21 10 E

name

Pristina (Prishtine, Prishtina)

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 Kosovo

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the government, by the president of the republic, or by one fourth of Assembly deputies; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, including two-thirds majority vote of deputies representing non-majority communities, followed by a favorable Constitutional Court assessment; amended several times, last in 2020

history

previous 1974, 1990; latest (postindependence) draft finalized 2 April 2008, signed 7 April 2008, ratified 9 April 2008, entered into force 15 June 2008; note - amendment 24, passed by the Assembly in August 2015, established the Kosovo Relocated Specialist Institution, referred to as the Kosovo Specialist Chamber or "Specialist Court," to try war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other crimes under Kosovo law committed during and immediately after the Kosovo War (1998-2000)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Kosovo

conventional short form

Kosovo

etymology

name derives from the Serbian "kos" meaning "blackbird," an ellipsis (linguistic omission) for "kosove polje" or "field of the blackbirds"

local long form

Republika e Kosoves (Albanian)/ Republika Kosovo (Serbian)

local short form

Kosove (Albanian)/ Kosovo (Serbian)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Jeffrey M. HOVENIER (since 10 January 2022)

email address and website

PristinaACS@state.govhttps://xk.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Arberia/Dragodan, Rr.  4 KORRIKU Nr. 25, Pristina

FAX

[383] 38-604-890

mailing address

9520 Pristina Place, Washington DC  20521-9520

telephone

[383] 38-59-59-3000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3612 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Ilir DUGOLLI (since 13 January 2022)

consulate(s)

Des Moines (IA)

consulate(s) general

New York

email address and website

embassy.usa@rks-gov.netU.S. Embassies of the Republic of Kosovo (ambasadat.net)

FAX

[1] (202) 735-0609

telephone

[1] (202) 450-2130

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet elected by the Assembly

chief of state

President Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu (since 4 April 2021)

election results

2021:  Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu elected president in third ballot; Assembly vote - Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu (Guxo!) 71 votes; Albin KURTI (LVV) elected prime minister; Assembly vote - 67 for, 30 against2016: Hashim THACI elected president in third ballot; Assembly vote - Hashim THACI (PDK) 71 votes; Ramush HARADINAJ (AAK) elected prime minister; Assembly vote - 61 for

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly for a 5-year term; if a candidate does not attain a two-thirds threshold in the first two ballots, the candidate winning a simple majority vote in the third ballot is elected (eligible for a second term); election last held on 3-4 April 2021 (next to be held in 2026); prime minister indirectly elected by the Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister Albin KURTI (since 22 March 2021)

Flag description

centered on a dark blue field is a gold-colored silhouette of Kosovo surmounted by six white, five-pointed stars arrayed in a slight arc; each star represents one of the major ethnic groups of Kosovo: Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Gorani, Roma, and Bosniaks

note

note: one of only two national flags that uses a map as a design element; the flag of Cyprus is the other

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

17 February 2008 (from Serbia)

International law organization participation

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

International organization participation

IBRD, IDA, IFC, IMF, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OIF (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 18 judges and organized into Appeals Panel of the Kosovo Property Agency and Special Chamber); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 7 judges)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges nominated by the Kosovo Judicial Council, a 13-member independent body staffed by judges and lay members, and also responsible for overall administration of Kosovo's judicial system; judges appointed by the president of the Republic of Kosovo; judges appointed until mandatory retirement age; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the Kosovo Assembly and appointed by the president of the republic to serve single, 9-year terms

note

note: in August 2015, the Kosovo Assembly approved a constitutional amendment that established the Kosovo Relocated Specialist Judicial Institution, also referred to as the Kosovo Specialist Chambers or "Special Court"; the court, located at the Hague in the Netherlands, began operating in late 2016 and has jurisdiction to try crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other crimes under Kosovo law that occurred in the 1998-2000 period

subordinate courts

Court of Appeals (organized into 4 departments: General, Serious Crime, Commercial Matters, and Administrative Matters); Basic Court (located in 7 municipalities, each with several branches)

Legal system

civil law system; note - the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) retained limited executive powers within the Kosovo judiciary for complex cases from 2008 to 2018

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi i Kosoves/Skupstina Kosova (120 seats; 100 members directly elected by open-list proportional representation vote with 20 seats reserved for ethnic minorities - 10 for Serbs and 10 for other ethnic minorities; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - LVV 50%, PDK 16.9%, LDK 12.7%, AAK 7.1%, Serb List 5.1%, other 8.2%; seats by party - LVV 58, PDK 19, LDK 15, Serb List 10, AAK 8, other 10; composition as of December 2021 - men 79, women 41, percent of women 34.2%

elections

last held on 14 February 2021 (next to be held in 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

no lyrics/Mendi MENGJIQI

name

Europe

note

note: adopted 2008; Kosovo chose to exclude lyrics in its anthem so as not to offend the country's minority ethnic groups

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Medieval Monuments in Kosovo

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 17 February (2008)

National symbol(s)

six, five-pointed, white stars; national colors: blue, gold, white

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK [Ramush HARADINAJ]Ashkali Party for Integration or PAI [Bekim ARIFI]Civic Initiative for Freedom, Justice, and Survival [Milan DABIC]Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Lumir ABDIXHIKU]Democratic Party of Kosovo or PDK [Memli KRASNIQI]New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo or IRDK [Elbert KRASNIQI]New Democratic Party or NDS [Emilja REDZEPI]Progressive Movement of Kosovar Roma or LPRK [Erxhan GALJUSI]Romani Initiative [Gazmend SALIJEVCI]Self-Determination Movement (Lëvizja Vetevendosje or Vetevendosie) or LVV or VV [Albin KURTI]Serb List or SL [Goran RAKIC]Social Democratic Union or SDU [Duda BALJE]Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo or KDTP [Fikrim DAMKA]Unique Gorani Party or JGP [Adem HODZA]Vakat Coalition or VAKAT [Bahrim SABANI]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

wheat, corn, berries, potatoes, peppers, fruit; dairy, livestock; fish

Budget

expenditures

$2.547 billion (2020 est.)

revenues

$1.951 billion (2020 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$447.233 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$541.106 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$818.351 million (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$2.409 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$2.388 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

small-but-growing European economy; non-EU member but unilateral euro user; very high unemployment, especially youth; vulnerable reliance on diaspora tourism services, curtailed by COVID-19 disruptions; unclear public loan portfolio health

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

0.885 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.847 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.877 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

note

note: Kosovo, which is neither an EU member state nor a party to a formal EU monetary agreement, uses the euro as its de facto currency

Exports

Exports 2019

$2.312 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$1.687 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$3.138 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

mattress materials, iron alloys, metal piping, scrap iron, building plastics, mineral water, seating (2021)

Exports - partners

United States 16%, Albania 15%, North Macedonia 12%, Germany 8%, Italy 8% (2021)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

27% (2017 est.)

government consumption

13.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

84.3% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-53.8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

29% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

11.9% (2017 est.)

industry

17.7% (2017 est.)

services

70.4% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.926 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

29 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

22% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%

3.8%

Imports

Imports 2019

$4.454 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$4.187 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$6.128 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, iron rods, electricity, cigars, packaged medicines (2021)

Imports - partners

Germany 13%, Turkey 13%, China 10%, Serbia 7%, Italy 6% (2021)

Industrial production growth rate

7.76% (2021 est.)

Industries

mineral mining, construction materials, base metals, leather, machinery, appliances, foodstuffs and beverages, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.68% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

0.2% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

3.35% (2021 est.)

Labor force

500,300 (2017 est.)

note

note: includes those estimated to be employed in the gray economy

Population below poverty line

17.6% (2015 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

19.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

21.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$20.247 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$19.166 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$21.226 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

4.76% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-5.34% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

10.75% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$11,300 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$10,700 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$11,900 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$965.832 million (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$1.095 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$1.244 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

29% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: Kosovo has a large informal sector that may not be reflected in these data

Unemployment rate 2016

27.5% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

30.5% (2017 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

57.3%

male

44.9%

total

48.8% (2020 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

6.1 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

1.909 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

8.009 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

8.549 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

9,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

20,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

8.538 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

1.564 billion metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

4,860,740,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

2.715 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

2.572 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.424 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.145 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

95.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

3.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

1.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

51.462 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 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

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

12,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

192 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

14,040 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Internet country code

.xk; note - assigned as a temporary code under UN Security Council resolution 1244/99 

note

 

Internet users

percent of population

91% (2021 est.)

total

1,756,300 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line roughly 25 per 100 and mobile-cellular 98 per 100 persons (2022)

general assessment

Kosovo has benefited from financial and regulatory assistance as part of the EU pre-accession process; the telecom sector has been liberalized, and legislation has aligned the sector with the EU’s revised regulatory framework; infrastructure development includes WiMax and other municipal wireless internet services; digitalization of TV broadcasting; network upgrades include a 5G roll-out in the coming years (2022 )

international

country code - 383

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

25 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

383,763 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

98 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

1,777,859 (2022 est.)

Airports

6 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

3

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

3

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

Z6

Heliports

2 (2021)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers

0 (2020)

Railways

total

437 km (2020)

Roadways

paved

1,921 km (2015) (includes 78 km of expressways)

total

2,012 km (2015)

unpaved

91 km (2015)

Military - note

the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) was established in 2009 as a small (1,500 personnel), lightly armed disaster response force; the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) was charged with assisting in the development of the KSF and bringing it up to standards designated by NATO; the KSF was certified as fully operational by the North Atlantic Council in 2013, indicating the then 2,200-strong KSF was entirely capable of performing the tasks assigned under its mandate, which included non-military security functions that were not appropriate for the police, plus missions such as search and rescue, explosive ordnance disposal, control and clearance of hazardous materials, firefighting, and other humanitarian assistance tasks; in 2019, Kosovo approved legislation that began a process to transition the KSF by 2028 into a multinational and professional armed forces (the Kosovo Armed Forces) led by a General Staff and comprised of a Land Force, a National Guard, a Logistics Command, and a Doctrine and Training Command; it would have a strength of up to 5,000 with about 3,000 reserves; at the same time, the KSF’s mission was expanded to include traditional military functions, such as territorial defense and international peacekeeping; the KSF’s first international mission was the deployment of a small force to Kuwait in 2021 the NATO-led KFOR has operated in the country as a peace support force since 1999; in addition to assisting in the development of the KSF, KFOR is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment and ensuring freedom of movement for all citizens; it numbers about 3,700 troops from 27 countries; Kosovo regards the US as a key ally and security guarantor, and the US has provided considerable support to the KSF, including equipment and training (2023)

Military and security forces

Kosovo Security Force (KSF; Forca e Sigurisë së Kosovës or FSK): Land Force, National Guard (2023)

note

note: the Kosovo Police are under the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 3,300 KSF personnel, including about 800 reserves (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the KSF is equipped with small arms and light vehicles and has relied on limited amounts of donated equipment from several countries, particularly Turkey and the US (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

0.8% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military service age and obligation

any citizen of Kosovo over the age of 18 is eligible to serve in the Kosovo Security Force; upper age for enlisting is 30 for officers, 25 for other ranks, although these may be waived for recruits with key skills considered essential for the KSF (2023)

Disputes - international

Kosovo-Albania: none identified Kosovo-Montenegro: their 2015 demarcation agreement was ratified by Montenegro in December 2015 and by Kosovo in March 2018, but the actual demarcation has not been completed Kosovo-North Macedonia: Kosovo and North Macedonia completed demarcation of their boundary in September 2008; both countries ratified the demarcation documents on October 17, 2009, after high-level consultations resolved the disputed section of border around Debelde/Tanusevci Kosovo-Serbia: Serbia has not recognized Kosovo's independence, and Belgrade continues to claim it as its territory; Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority, most of whom live in the northern regions, view themselves as part of Serbia, and Serbian municipalities along the northern border have challenged the final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundary; some protests have turned violent   

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

16,000 (primarily ethnic Serbs displaced during the 1998-1999 war fearing reprisals from the majority ethnic-Albanian population; a smaller number of ethnic Serbs, Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians fled their homes in 2004 as a result of violence) (2022)

note

note: 9,011 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2023)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

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

8.94 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.54 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December

Environment - current issues

air pollution (pollution from power plants and nearby lignite mines take a toll on people's health); water scarcity and pollution; land degradation

Land use

agricultural land

52.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 27.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 23.5% (2018 est.)

forest

41.7% (2018 est.)

other

5.5% (2018 est.)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

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

Revenue from coal

0.31% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

319,000 tons (2015 est.)