2020 Edition

Background

In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. The monarchy remained in power until 1945, when the communist Partisans headed by Josip Broz (aka TITO) took control of the newly created Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). After TITO died in 1980, communism in Yugoslavia gradually gave way to resurgent nationalism. In 1989, Slobodan MILOSEVIC became president of the Republic of Serbia, and his calls for Serbian domination led to the violent breakup of Yugoslavia along ethnic lines. In 1991, Croatia, Slovenia, and Macedonia declared independence, followed by Bosnia in 1992. The remaining republics of Serbia and Montenegro declared a new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) in 1992, and MILOSEVIC led military campaigns to unite ethnic Serbs in neighboring republics into a "Greater Serbia." These actions ultimately failed, and international intervention led to the signing of the Dayton Accords in 1995. In 1998, an ethnic Albanian insurgency in the formerly autonomous Serbian province of Kosovo resulted in a brutal Serbian counterinsurgency campaign. Serbia rejected a proposed international settlement, and NATO responded with a bombing campaign that forced Serbian forces to withdraw from Kosovo in June 1999. In 2003, the FRY became the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, a loose federation of the two republics. In 2006, Montenegro seceded and declared itself an independent nation.  In 2008, Kosovo also declared independence -- an action Serbia still refuses to recognize. In 2013, Serbia and Kosovo signed the first agreement of principles governing the normalization of relations between the two countries. Additional agreements were reached in 2015 and 2023, but implementation remains incomplete. Serbia has been an official candidate for EU membership since 2012, and President Aleksandar VUCIC has promoted the ambitious goal of Serbia joining the EU by 2025.

Area

land

77,474 sq km

total

77,474 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than South Carolina

Climate

in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well-distributed rainfall); in other parts, continental and Mediterranean climate (relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns)

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Midzor 2,169 m

lowest point

Danube and Timok Rivers 35 m

mean elevation

442 m

Geographic coordinates

44 00 N, 21 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the Near East

Irrigated land

550 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

border countries

Bosnia and Herzegovina 345 km; Bulgaria 344 km; Croatia 314 km; Hungary 164 km; Kosovo 366 km; North Macedonia 101 km; Montenegro 157 km; Romania 531 km

total

2,322 km

Land use

agricultural land

40.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 31% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.5% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 6.6% (2023 est.)

forest

40.4% (2023 est.)

other

27.2% (2023 est.)

Location

Southeastern Europe, between Macedonia and Hungary

Major rivers (by length in km)

Dunav (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes

Natural resources

oil, gas, coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, chromite, gold, silver, magnesium, pyrite, limestone, marble, salt, arable land

Population distribution

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

Terrain

extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountains and hills

Age structure

0-14 years

14.4% (male 492,963/female 463,995)

15-64 years

65.6% (male 2,198,591/female 2,168,113)

65 years and over

20% (2024 est.) (male 551,197/female 777,353)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.24 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

7.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

1.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Child marriage

women married by age 15

1.2% (2019)

women married by age 18

5.5% (2019)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

54.3% (2022 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

30.4 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

3.3 (2024 est.)

total dependency ratio

52.3 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

21.9 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 96.1% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 95.7% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 95.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 3.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 4.3% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 4.6% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

8.4% national budget (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups

Serb 83.3%, Hungarian 3.5%, Romani 2.1%, Bosniak 2%, other 5.7%, undeclared or unknown 3.4% (2011 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.71 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

10% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

13.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

5.4 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male

5.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

Languages

Serbian (official) 88.1%, Hungarian 3.4%, Bosnian 1.9%, Romani 1.4%, other 3.4%, undeclared or unknown 1.8% (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s)

Knjiga svetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Serbian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.1 years

male

72.7 years

total population

75.3 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

99.1% (2022 est.)

male

99.6% (2022 est.)

total population

99.3% (2022 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.408 million BELGRADE (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

45.4 years

male

42.4 years

total

44.1 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

28.2 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Serbian

noun

Serb(s)

Net migration rate

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

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.5% (2016)

Physician density

3.1 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

3,409,461

male

3,242,751

total

6,652,212 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.6% (2025 est.)

Religions

Serbian Orthodox 81.1%, unknown 5.3%, Islam 4.2%, Catholic 3.9%, no response 2.5%, atheist 1.1%; less than 1%: other Christians, Protestant, agnostic (2022)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 95.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 97.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 4.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 2.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2022 est.)

male

14 years (2022 est.)

total

15 years (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.71 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

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

Tobacco use

female

34.5% (2025 est.)

male

37.8% (2025 est.)

total

36% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.47 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.04% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

57.1% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

117 municipalities (opstine, singular - opstina) and 28 cities (gradovi, singular - grad) municipalities: Ada*, Aleksandrovac, Aleksinac, Alibunar*, Apatin*, Arandelovac, Arilje, Babusnica, Bac*, Backa Palanka*, Backa Topola*, Backi Petrovac*, Bajina Basta, Batocina, Becej*, Bela Crkva*, Bela Palanka, Beocin*, Blace, Bogatic, Bojnik, Boljevac, Bosilegrad, Brus, Bujanovac, Cajetina, Cicevac, Coka*, Crna Trava, Cuprija, Despotovac, Dimitrov, Doljevac, Gadzin Han, Golubac, Gornji Milanovac, Indija*, Irig*, Ivanjica, Kanjiza*, Kladovo, Knic, Knjazevac, Koceljeva, Kosjeric, Kovacica*, Kovin*, Krupanj, Kucevo, Kula*, Kursumlija, Lajkovac, Lapovo, Lebane, Ljig, Ljubovija, Lucani, Majdanpek, Mali Idos*, Mali Zvornik, Malo Crnice, Medveda, Merosina, Mionica, Negotin, Nova Crnja*, Nova Varos, Novi Becej*, Novi Knezevac*, Odzaci*, Opovo*, Osecina, Paracin, Pecinci*, Petrovac na Mlavi, Plandiste*, Pozega, Presevo, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raca, Raska, Razanj, Rekovac, Ruma*, Secanj*, Senta*, Sid*, Sjenica, Smederevska Palanka, Sokobanja, Srbobran*, Sremski Karlovci*, Stara Pazova*, Surdulica, Svilajnac, Svrljig, Temerin*, Titel*, Topola, Trgoviste, Trstenik, Tutin, Ub, Varvarin, Velika Plana, Veliko Gradiste, Vladicin Han, Vladimirci, Vlasotince, Vrbas*, Vrnjacka Banja, Zabalj*, Zabari, Zagubica, Zitiste*, Zitorada cities: Beograd (Belgrade), Bor, Cacak, Jagodina, Kikinda*, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Krusevac, Leskovac, Loznica, Nis, Novi Pazar, Novi Sad*, Pancevo*, Pirot, Pozarevac, Prokuplje, Sabac, Smederevo, Sombor*, Sremska Mitrovica*, Subotica*, Uzice, Valjevo, Vranje, Vrsac*, Zajecar, Zrenjanin*

Capital

daylight saving time

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

etymology

the name comes from the Serbian words beo (white) and grad (city); it probably referred to the white stone of the city fortress

geographic coordinates

44 50 N, 20 30 E

name

Belgrade (Beograd)

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 Serbia

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

3 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by at least one third of deputies in the National Assembly, by the president of the republic, by the government, or by petition of at least 150,000 voters; passage of proposals and draft amendments each requires at least two-thirds majority vote in the Assembly; amendments to constitutional articles including the preamble, constitutional principles, and human and minority rights and freedoms also require passage by simple majority vote in a referendum

history

many previous; latest adopted 30 September 2006, approved by referendum 28-29 October 2006, effective 8 November 2006

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Serbia

conventional short form

Serbia

etymology

the country takes its name from the Serb people; the origin of their name is unclear but may derive from the Caucasian root word ser, meaning "man"

former

People's Republic of Serbia, Socialist Republic of Serbia

local long form

Republika Srbija

local short form

Srbija

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Alexander TITOLO (since January 2025)

email address and website

belgradeacs@state.gov https://rs.usembassy.gov/

embassy

92 Bulevar kneza Aleksandra Karadjordjevica, 11040 Belgrade

FAX

[381] (11) 706-4481

mailing address

5070 Belgrade Place, Washington, DC 20521-5070

telephone

[381] (11) 706-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1333 16th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Dragan ŠUTANOVAC (since 24 July 2025)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, New York

email address and website

info@serbiaembusa.org http://www.washington.mfa.gov.rs/

FAX

[1] (202) 332-3933

telephone

[1] (202) 507-8654

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet elected by the National Assembly

chief of state

President Aleksandar VUCIC (since 31 May 2017)

election results

2022: Aleksandar VUCIC reelected in first round; percent of vote - Aleksandar VUCIC (SNS) 60%, Zdravko PONOS (US) 18.9%, Milos JOVANOVIC (NADA) 6.1%, Bosko OBRADOVIC (Dveri-POKS) 4.5%, Milica DJURDJEVIC STAMENKOVSKI (SSZ) 4.3%, other 6.2% 2017: Aleksandar VUCIC elected president in first round; percent of vote - Aleksandar VUCIC (SNS) 55.1%, Sasa JANKOVIC (independent) 16.4%, Luka MAKSIMOVIC (independent) 9.4%, Vuk JEREMIC (independent) 5.7%, Vojislav SESELJ (SRS) 4.5%, other 7.3%, invalid/blank 1.6%; Prime Minister Ana BRNABIC reelected by the National Assembly on 5 October 2020; National Assembly vote - NA

election/appointment process

president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister elected by the National Assembly

expected date of next election

2028

head of government

Prime Minister Djuro MACUT (since 16 April 2025)

most recent election date

17 December 2023

Flag

description: three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), blue, and white; the national coat of arms is shifted to the left side; the principal field of the coat of arms displays a two-headed white eagle on a red shield; a smaller red shield on the eagle is divided into four quarters by a white cross; a royal crown is on top of the coat of arms meaning: red, blue, and white are the pan-Slav colors that represent freedom and revolutionary ideals; the eagle on a red shield represents the government; the smaller shield represents the country; the meaning and origin of the curved white symbols in each quarter are not clear

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

5 June 2006 (from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro); notable earlier dates: 1217 (Serbian Kingdom established); 16 April 1346 (Serbian Empire established); 13 July 1878 (Congress of Berlin recognizes Serbian independence); 1 December 1918 (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes established, later known as Yugoslavia)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (candidate country), FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of 36 judges, including the court president); Constitutional Court (consists of 15 judges, including the court president and vice president)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court justices proposed by the High Judicial Council (HJC), an 11-member independent body consisting of 8 judges elected by the National Assembly and 3 ex-officio members; justices appointed by the National Assembly; Constitutional Court judges elected - 5 each by the National Assembly, the president, and the Supreme Court of Cassation; initial appointment of Supreme Court judges by the HJC is 3 years and beyond that period tenure is permanent; Constitutional Court judges elected for 9-year terms

subordinate courts

basic courts, higher courts, appellate courts; courts of special jurisdiction include the Administrative Court, commercial courts, and misdemeanor courts

Legal system

civil law system

Legislative branch

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

December 2027

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

National Assembly (Narodna skupstina)

most recent election date

12/17/2023

number of seats

250 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Aleksandar Vucic – Serbia Must Not Stop (129); Serbia Against Violence (65); Ivica Dacic - Prime Minister of Serbia (18); Dr Miloš Jovanović - Hope for Serbia (13); We – Voice of the People, Prof. Dr. Branimir Nestorovic (13); Other (12)

percentage of women in chamber

37.2%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1904; song originally written as part of a play in 1872, and the Serbian people have used it as an anthem in the 20th and 21st centuries

lyrics/music

Jovan DORDEVIC/Davorin JENKO

title

"Boze pravde" (God of Justice)

National color(s)

red, blue, white

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Stari Ras and Sopoćani; Studenica Monastery; Gamzigrad-Romuliana, Palace of Galerius; Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards

total World Heritage Sites

4 (all cultural)

National holiday

Statehood Day, 15 February (1835), the day the first constitution of the country was adopted

National symbol(s)

white double-headed eagle

Political parties

Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians or SVM or VMSZ  Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina or DSHV  Democratic Party or DS  Ecological Uprising or EU  Green - Left Front or ZLF  Greens of Serbia or ZS  Justice and Reconciliation Party or SPP (formerly Bosniak Democratic Union of Sandzak or BDZS) Movement for Reversal or PZP  Movement for the Restoration of the Kingdom of Serbia or POKS  Movement of Free Citizens or PSG  Movement of Socialists or PS  National Democratic Alternative or NADA (electoral coalition includes NDSS and POKS) New Communist Party of Yugoslavia or NKPJ  New Democratic Party of Serbia or NDSS or New DSS  (formerly Democratic Party of Serbia or DSS) New Face of Serbia or NLS  Party of Democratic Action of the Sandzak or SDAS  Party of Freedom and Justice or SSP  Party of United Pensioners, Farmers, and Proletarians of Serbia – Solidarity and Justice or PUPS - Solidarity and Justice (formerly Party of United Pensioners of Serbia or PUPS) People's Movement of Serbia or NPS  People's Movement of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija or Fatherland  People's Peasant Party or NSS  Political Battle of the Albanians Continues  Russian Party or RS  Serbia Against Violence or SPN (electoral coalition includes DS, SSP, ZLF, Zajedno, NPS, PSG, EU, PZP, USS Sloga, NLS, Fatherland) Serbia Must Not Stop (electoral coalitions includes SNS, SDPS, PUPS, PSS, SNP, SPO, PS, NSS, USS) Serbian People's Party or SNP  Serbian Progressive Party or SNS  Serbian Renewal Movement or SPO  Social Democratic Party of Serbia or SDPS  Socialist Party of Serbia or SPS  Strength of Serbia or PSS  Together or ZAJEDNO  United Peasant Party or USS  United Serbia or JS  United Trade Unions of Serbia "Sloga" or USS Sloga  We - The Voice from the People or MI-GIN 

Suffrage

18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal

Agricultural products

maize, wheat, sugar beets, milk, sunflower seeds, soybeans, potatoes, barley, apples, plums (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

7.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

24.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$28.12 billion (2022 est.)

revenues

$26.077 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$2.654 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$4.457 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$1.947 billion (2023 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$21.726 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

upper middle-income Balkan economy; current EU accession candidate; hit by COVID-19; pursuing green growth development; manageable public debt; new anticorruption efforts; falling unemployment; historic Russian relations; energy import-dependent

Exchange rates

Currency

Serbian dinars (RSD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

103.163 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

99.396 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

111.662 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

108.403 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

108.208 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$34.035 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$39.905 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$44.352 billion (2023 est.)

Exports - commodities

insulated wire, electricity, copper ore, plastic products, electric motors (2023)

Exports - partners

Germany 15%, Hungary 7%, Bosnia & Herzegovina 5%, Italy 5%, Romania 5% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

52.7% (2024 est.)

government consumption

17.8% (2024 est.)

household consumption

62.7% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-58.8% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23.6% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

2% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

3.1% (2024 est.)

industry

23.3% (2024 est.)

services

58.5% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$89.084 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

32.8 (2022 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24.7% (2022 est.)

lowest 10%

2.4% (2022 est.)

Imports

Imports 2021

$39.476 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$47.395 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$48.158 billion (2023 est.)

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, packaged medicine, plastic products, cars (2023)

Imports - partners

Germany 12%, China 10%, Italy 7%, Turkey 5%, Hungary 5% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

2.9% (2024 est.)

Industries

automobiles, base metals, furniture, food processing, machinery, chemicals, sugar, tires, clothes, pharmaceuticals

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

12% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

12.4% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

4.7% (2024 est.)

Labor force

3.23 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

20% (2021 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

73.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$164.166 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$170.482 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$177.093 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

2.6% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.8% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

3.9% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$24,600 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$25,700 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$26,900 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

6.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

8.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

7.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$20.68 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$27.569 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$30.484 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

23.9% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

8.5% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

8.3% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

7.4% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

24.1% (2024 est.)

male

21.8% (2024 est.)

total

22.7% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

37.828 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

16,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

4.542 million metric tons (2023 est.)

production

33.219 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

7.112 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

34.413 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

7.351 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

5.395 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

8.202 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

4.881 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

65.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

30.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

91.884 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

2.886 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

2.471 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

336.605 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

48.139 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

77.5 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

88,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

13,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

31 (2023 est.)

total

2.08 million (2023 est.)

Internet country code

.rs

Internet users

percent of population

85% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

37 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

2.485 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

124 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

8.53 million (2023 est.)

Airports

46 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

YU

Heliports

11 (2025)

Railways

total

3,333 km (2020) 1,274 km electrified

Military - note

the Serbian military is responsible for defense and deterrence against external threats, supporting international peacekeeping operations, and providing support to civil authorities for internal security; specific areas of concerns for the military include ethnic and religious extremism, separatism, and deepening international recognition of Kosovo; Serbia has cooperated with NATO since 2006, when it joined the Partnership for Peace program, and the military trains with NATO countries, particularly other Balkan states; Serbia has participated in EU peacekeeping missions, as well as missions under the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the UN; it traditionally has maintained close security ties with Russia and has a growing security relationship with China the modern Serbian military was established in 2006 but traces its origins back through World War II, World War I, the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, and the Bulgarian-Serb War of 1885 to the First (1804-1813) and Second (1815-1817) Uprisings against the Ottoman Empire (2025)

Military and security forces

Serbian Armed Forces (Vojska Srbije, VS): Army (aka Land Forces; includes Riverine Component, consisting of a naval flotilla on the Danube), Air and Air Defense Forces, Serbian Guard Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs: Police Directorate (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 25,000 active-duty Armed Forces (15,000 Land Forces; 5,000 Air/Air Defense; 5,000 other, including Serbian Guard) (2025)

Military deployments

180 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory consists of a mix of Soviet/Cold War-era and some more modern weapons systems from suppliers such as China, France, and Russia; Serbia has a defense industry focused on armored vehicles, artillery systems, and munitions (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

2.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

2.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

2.5% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished in 2011 (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

194,171 (2024 est.)

refugees

36,270 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

1,715 (2024 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

27.743 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

5.374 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

11.665 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

44.782 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities; water pollution from industrial wastes in rivers; inadequate management of domestic, industrial, and hazardous waste

Geoparks

global geoparks and regional networks

Djerdap (2023)

total global geoparks and regional networks

1

International environmental agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, 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 Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

21.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

162.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

422 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial

3.967 billion cubic meters (2022)

municipal

702 million cubic meters (2022)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2.347 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

1% (2022 est.)