Culture
Major languages include Russian (official) 71.4%, Belarusian (official) 26%, other 0.3% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 2.3% (201…
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Belarus
EuropeGlobal Leader
Globally, Belarus places #4 in hospital beds. Ready to explore more about Belarus?
Globally, Belarus places #4 in hospital beds. This ranking reflects a standout track record. Ready to explore more about Belarus?
53.0, 28.0 - Europe
Area
208K km²
Pop.
9.46M
Stats
127
Reality brief
Belarus is a country in Europe with a population of 9.46M and an area of 207,600 km². Life expectancy is 74.2 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Internet Users (%)
94.26%#38globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
CO2 Per Capita
6.2 t/person/yr#50globally
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes per person, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
University Enrollment Rate
70.11%#48globally
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Human Development Index
0.82#65globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita
$29,037.53#73globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$33,010.33#74globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Belarus
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Identity
Formal name: Republic of Belarus.
CIA 2026
Geography
Size snapshot: slightly less than twice the size of Kentucky.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Belarus
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Minsk
Minsk City, Belarus
Famous100/100
Open city guide
Brest
Belarus
Famous67/100
Open city guide
Homyel'
Homyel' Voblasc', Belarus
Famous62/100
Open city guide
Vitebsk
Belarus
Notable61/100
Open city guide
Hrodna
Grodnenskaya, Belarus
Notable58/100
Open city guide
Mahilyow
Mogilev, Belarus
Notable58/100
Open city guide
Bobruysk
Mogilev, Belarus
Notable57/100
Open city guide
Lida
Grodnenskaya, Belarus
Notable55/100
Open city guide
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
9.7 per 1k#4globallyTop stat
The number of hospital beds available per 1,000 people.
Spirits Consumption
4.7 L/person/yr#6globallyTop stat
Liters of spirits consumed per person per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Electricity Access (%)
100%#20globallyTop stat
The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
Lowest Elevation
90 m#27globallyTop stat
Lowest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Keeps inequality (gini) unusually low
#10724.4Inequality (Gini)
A measure of income inequality where 0 means everyone earns the same and 100 means one person has everything.
Ranks #9 globally in alcohol consumption
#911.63 L/adult/yrAlcohol Consumption
Liters of pure alcohol the average adult aged 15+ consumes per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Keeps child mortality unusually low
#1872.4 per 1k birthsChild Mortality
Deaths before age 5 per 1,000 live births, from World Bank Open Data.
Keeps infant mortality unusually low
#1871.9 per 1k birthsInfant Mortality
Infant deaths before age 1 per 1,000 live births, from World Bank Open Data.
Ranks #15 globally in doctors (per 1,000)
#154.7 per 1kDoctors (per 1,000)
The number of doctors per 1,000 people.
Compared with the region
How Belarus Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Belarus
Europe avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $33,010.33
- Region avg
- $57,483.02
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Belarus$33,010.33
Europe$57,483.02
World$31,844.55
+4% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 74.2 years
- Region avg
- 80.0 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Belarus74.2 years
Europe80.0 years
World73.7 years
+1% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.82
- Region avg
- 0.89
- World avg
- 0.74
Belarus0.82
Europe0.89
World0.74
+11% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 94.26%
- Region avg
- 90.13%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Belarus94.26%
Europe90.13%
World70.29%
+34% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Belarus
Country briefing
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991.
Read the full Factbook note
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. In 1999, Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union, envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place and negotiations on further integration have been contentious. Since taking office in 1994 as the country's first and only directly elected president, Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on political and civil freedoms, freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion have remained in place. Restrictions on political freedoms have tightened in the wake of the disputed presidential election in 2020. The election results sparked large-scale protests as members of the opposition and civil society criticized the election's validity. LUKASHENKA has remained in power as the disputed winner of the presidential election after quelling protests in 2020. Since 2022, Belarus has facilitated Russia's war in Ukraine, which was launched in part from Belarusian territory.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Eastern Europe, east of Poland
- Climate
- cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
- Terrain
- generally flat with much marshland
- Natural Resources
- timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay
- Natural Hazards
- large tracts of marshy land
- Size Comparison
- slightly less than twice the size of Kentucky; slightly smaller than Kansas
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Russian (official) 71.4%, Belarusian (official) 26%, other 0.3% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 2.3% (2019 est.)
- Religions
- Orthodox 48.3%, Catholic 7.1%, other 3.5%, non-believers 41.1% (2011 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Belarusian 83.7%, Russian 8.3%, Polish 3.1%, Ukrainian 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.9% (2009 est.)
- Major Cities
- 2.057 million MINSK (capital) (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
- Capital
- Minsk
- Capital Coordinates
- 53 54 N, 27 34 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Belarus
- Name Origin
- the name is a compound of the Slavic words "bel" (white) and "Rus" (the Old East Slavic ethnic designation) to form the meaning White Rusian or White Ruthenian
- Independence
- 25 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
- National Symbols
- no official symbol; the mounted knight known as Pahonia (the Chaser) is the traditional symbol
- National Anthem
- "My, Bielarusy" (We Belarusians)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 4 (3 cultural, 1 natural)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- declining Russian energy subsidies will end in 2024; growing public debt; strong currency pressures have led to higher inflation; recent price controls on basic food and drugs; public sector wage increases and fragile private sector threaten household income gains and economic growth
- Industries
- metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances
- Agricultural Products
- milk, sugar beets, potatoes, wheat, triticale, barley, maize, rapeseed, rye, chicken (2023)
- Export Partners
- China 34%, Kazakhstan 10%, Uzbekistan 7%, Poland 6%, Brazil 5% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- fertilizers, rapeseed oil, wood, poultry, beef (2023)
- Import Partners
- China 33%, Poland 16%, Germany 11%, Lithuania 10%, Turkey 9% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- cars, broadcasting equipment, fabric, plastic products, video displays (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense4 facts
- Military Forces
- Belarus Armed Forces: Army, Air and Air Defense Force, Special Operations Force, Special Troops, Territorial Defense Forces Ministry of Interior: State Border Troops, Militia, Internal Troops (2025)
- Military Service
- 18-27 years of age for compulsory military or alternative service; conscript service obligation is 12-18 months, depending on academic qualifications, and 24-36 months for alternative service; 17-year-olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 70% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 26.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 1.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 7 state-controlled national TV channels; Polish and Russian TV broadcasts are available in some areas; state-run Belarusian Radio operates 5 national networks and an external service; Russian and Polish radio broadcasts are available (2019)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #4
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Doctors (per 1,000)
Suicide Rate
Smoking Rate
Obesity Rate
Health Spending (% GDP)
Life Expectancy
Child Mortality
Infant Mortality
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #6
Demographics12 statsBest: #10
Death Rate
Median Age
Elderly Population (%)
Urban Population (%)
Land Area
Population
Dependency Ratio
Population Density
Teen Birth Rate
Youth Population (%)
Fertility Rate
Birth Rate
Energy2 statsBest: #13
Electric Generating Capacity
12.65M kW#61
Nuclear Electricity Share
28.6%#13
Environment9 statsBest: #20
Electricity Access (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Forest Area
Total CO2 Emissions
Forest Coverage (%)
Irrigated Land
260 km²#123
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Protected Land (%)
Renewable Energy (%)
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #27
Lowest Elevation
90 m#27
Land Border Length
3.6K km#57
Highest Elevation
346 m#202
Coastline Length
0 km#205
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #34
Technology3 statsBest: #38
Military & Defense2 statsBest: #38
Education & Future6 statsBest: #48
Society & Equality2 statsBest: #52
Wealth & Economy10 statsBest: #60
Inflation Rate
GDP Growth Rate
GDP Per Capita
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
GDP (Nominal)
High-Tech Exports (%)
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
Youth Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
Government Debt (% GDP)
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Belarus
#38 in Internet Users (%)
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Top 15% globally
94.26%
Frequently Asked Questions about Belarus
What is the population of Belarus?
Belarus has a population of 9.46M, ranking #97 globally by population.
What continent is Belarus in?
Belarus is located in Europe. It has an area of 207,600 km².
What is the life expectancy in Belarus?
Life expectancy in Belarus is 74.2 years, ranking #111 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Belarus?
Belarus's GDP per capita (PPP) is $33,010.33, ranking #74 globally.
What is Belarus known for in global statistics?
Belarus ranks particularly high in Internet Users (%) (#38), CO2 Per Capita (#50), University Enrollment Rate (#48).
What is Belarus's Human Development Index?
Belarus has an HDI of 0.824, ranking #65 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Belarus?
Belarus has a population density of 45.2 people per km², ranking #158 globally.