Bosnia and Herzegovina
Expect the unexpected when it comes to Bosnia and Herzegovina. A top performer in beer consumption (#26), it falls behind in fertility rate. Discover more about this complex place.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in Europe with a population of 3.65M and an area of 51,209 km². Life expectancy is 77.8 years.
At a Glance
The numbers that define this country
CO2 Per Capita
6.14How many tonnes of CO2 the average person produces per year.
Life Expectancy
77.8 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Life Expectancy
77.9 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Human Development Index
0.80The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Internet Users (%)
86.1%The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
GDP Per Capita
$20.4KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Where They Stand Out
Global rankings worth knowing
🌱Electricity Access (%)
100.0%The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
👥Death Rate
12.29The number of deaths per 1,000 people each year.
👥Median Age
45.7 yearsMedian age from CIA World Factbook.
❤️Smoking Rate
36.2%The percentage of people aged 15 and older who use tobacco products.
🍻Beer Consumption
3.73How many liters of beer the average adult (15+) drinks per year.
Did You Know?
Facts that catch players off guard
Only ranks #157 in air passengers
Air Passengers: 1.6K
Total passengers carried by airlines registered in that country, regardless of where flights originated or ended.
World Bank 2023Only ranks #223 in fertility rate
Fertility Rate: 1.15
The average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime based on current birth rates.
World Bank 2023Ranks #11 globally in electricity access (%)
Electricity Access (%): 100.0%
The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
World Bank 2023Ranks #14 globally in death rate
Death Rate: 12.29
The number of deaths per 1,000 people each year.
World Bank 2023Only ranks #204 in youth population (%)
Youth Population (%): 13.0%
The percentage of the population aged 0 to 14.
World Bank 2023Surprised? See how you stack up.
Play NowHow Bosnia and Herzegovina Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
World Bank 2023Life Expectancy
Above avgHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
World Bank 2023Human Development Index
Above avgThe Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Our World in Data 2023Internet Users
Above avgThe percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Test Your IntuitionAbout Bosnia and Herzegovina
After four centuries of Ottoman rule over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary took control in 1878 and held the region until 1918, when it was incorporated into the newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. After World War II, Bosnia and Herzegovina joined the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY).
Bosnia and Herzegovina declared sovereignty in October 1991 and independence from the SFRY on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. Bosnian Serb militias, with the support of Serbia and Croatia, then tried to take control of territories they claimed as their own. From 1992 to 1995, ethnic cleansing campaigns killed thousands and displaced more than two million people. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement, and the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995.
The Dayton Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a multiethnic and democratic 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 Dayton Accords also established the Office of the High Representative to oversee the agreement's implementation. In 1996, the NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) took over responsibility for enforcing the peace. In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. As of 2022, EUFOR deploys around 1,600 troops in Bosnia in a peacekeeping capacity. Bosnia and Herzegovina became an official candidate for EU membership in 2022.
- Location
- Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia
- Climate
- hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast
- Terrain
- mountains and valleys
- Natural Resources
- coal, iron ore, antimony, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, timber, hydropower
- Natural Hazards
- destructive earthquakes
- Size Comparison
- slightly smaller than West Virginia
- Languages
- Bosnian (official) 52.9%, Serbian (official) 30.8%, Croatian (official) 14.6%, other 1.6%, no answer 0.2% (2013 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.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Bosniak 50.1%, Serb 30.8%, Croat 15.4%, other 2.7%, not declared/no answer 1% (2013 est.)
- Major Cities
- 346,000 SARAJEVO (capital) (2023)
- Government Type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Sarajevo
- Capital Coordinates
- 43 52 N, 18 25 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Name Origin
- the larger northern territory is named for the Bosna River; the smaller southern section takes its name from the Old Serbian word herceg, meaning "duke," combined with the possessive -ov and the suffix -ina, meaning "country," to denote "dukedom"
- Independence
- 1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia)
- National Symbols
- golden lily
- National Anthem
- "Drzavna himna Bosne i Hercegovine" (The National Anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 5 (3 cultural, 2 natural)
- 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
- Industries
- steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, ammunition, domestic appliances, oil refining
- Agricultural Products
- maize, milk, vegetables, potatoes, plums, wheat, apples, barley, chicken, tomatoes (2023)
- Export Partners
- Germany 15%, Croatia 14%, Serbia 12%, Austria 10%, Slovenia 9% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- footwear, electricity, garments, plastic products, insulated wire (2023)
- Import Partners
- Italy 13%, Germany 11%, Serbia 11%, China 9%, Croatia 8% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, cars, garments, plastic products, packaged medicine (2023)
- Military 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 Ministry of Security: Border Police (2025)
- Military Service
- 18 -27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in January 2006 (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 64% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 31.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 1.8% of total installed capacity (2023 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 stations; 3 large public radio broadcasters and many private radio stations (2019)
Deep Dive
66 of 82 metricsEvery stat we track, organized by category
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Share something surprising about Bosnia and Herzegovina!
How many tonnes of CO2 the average person produces per year.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a population of 3.65M, ranking #131 globally by population.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in Europe. It has an area of 51,209 km².
Life expectancy in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 77.8 years, ranking #67 globally.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's GDP per capita (PPP) is 23.0K, ranking #91 globally.
Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks particularly high in CO2 Per Capita (#51), Life Expectancy (#67), Life Expectancy (#77).
Bosnia and Herzegovina has an HDI of 0.804, ranking #74 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a population density of 62.2 people per km², ranking #141 globally.
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