Map of Serbia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The Kingdom of Serbs Croats and Slovenes was formed in 1918; its name was changed to Yugoslavia in 1929. Various paramilitary bands resisted Nazi Germany's occupation and division of Yugoslavia from 1941 to 1945 but fought each other and ethnic opponents as much as the invaders. The military and political movement headed by Josip 'TITO' Broz (Partisans) took full control of Yugoslavia when German and Croatian separatist forces were defeated in 1945. Although Communist TITO's new government and his successors (he died in 1980) managed to steer their own path between the Warsaw Pact nations and the West for the next four and a half decades. In 1989 Slobodan MILOSEVIC became president of the Republic of Serbia and his ultranationalist 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 April 1992 and under MILOSEVIC's leadership Serbia led various military campaigns to unite ethnic Serbs in neighboring republics into a 'Greater Serbia.' These actions were ultimately unsuccessful and led to the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995. MILOSEVIC retained control over Serbia and eventually became president of the FRY in 1997. In 1998 an ethnic Albanian insurgency in the formerly autonomous Serbian province of Kosovo provoked a Serbian counterinsurgency campaign that resulted in massacres and massive expulsions of ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo. The MILOSEVIC government's rejection of a proposed international settlement led to NATO's bombing of Serbia in the spring of 1999 to the withdrawal of Serbian military and police forces from Kosovo in June 1999 and to the stationing of a NATO-led force in Kosovo to provide a safe and secure environment for the region's ethnic communities. FRY elections in late 2000 led to the ouster of MILOSEVIC and the installation of democratic government. In 2003 the FRY became Serbia and Montenegro a loose federation of the two republics. Widespread violence predominantly targeting ethnic Serbs in Kosovo in March 2004 caused the international community to open negotiations on the future status of Kosovo in January 2006. In June 2006 Montenegro seceded from the federation and declared itself an independent nation. Serbia subsequently gave notice that it was the successor state to the union of Serbia and Montenegro. In February 2008 after nearly two years of inconclusive negotiations the UN-administered province of Kosovo declared itself independent of Serbia - an action Serbia refuses to recognize. At Serbia's request the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in October 2008 sought an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on whether Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence was in accordance with international law. In a ruling considered unfavorable to Serbia the ICJ issued an advisory opinion in July 2010 stating that international law did not prohibit declarations of independence. In late 2010 Serbia agreed to an EU-drafted UNGA Resolution acknowledging the ICJ's decision and calling for a new round of talks between Serbia and Kosovo this time on practical issues rather than Kosovo's status. The EU began a new round of dialogue with Belgrade and Pristina in October 2012.


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Location: Southeastern Europe between Macedonia and Hungary

Geographic coordinates: 44 00 N 21 00 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 117
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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)

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

Elevation

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

Land use

Irrigated land: 890 km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 208.5 km³ (note - includes Kosovo) (2003)

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes

Geography
Note: controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the Near East


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Population: 7,276,604 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 98
Growth rate: -0.464% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 219
Below poverty line: 9.2% (2010 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Serb 82.9% Hungarian 3.9% Romany (Gypsy) 1.4% Yugoslavs 1.1% Bosniaks 1.8% Montenegrin 0.9% other 8% (2002 census)

Languages: Serbian (official) 88.3% Hungarian 3.8% Bosniak 1.8% Romany (Gypsy) 1.1% other 4.1% unknown 0.9% (2002 census)

Religions: Serbian Orthodox 85% Catholic 5.5% Protestant 1.1% Muslim 3.2% unspecified 2.6% other unknown or atheist 2.6% (2002 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.464% (2012 est.)
Rank: 219

Birth rate: 9.17 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 206

Death rate: 13.81 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 14

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 104

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities; water pollution from industrial wastes dumped into the Sava which flows into the Danube

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 169

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 102

Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 203

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 2.035 physicians/1000 population (2007)

Hospital bed density: 5.4 beds/1000 population (2007)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 151
People living with hivaids: 6,400 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 115
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 129

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.8% (2006)
Rank: 113

Education expenditures: 4.7% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 73

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic

Capital

Administrative divisions: 167 municipalities (opstine singular - opstina)

Dependent areas

Independence: 5 June 2006 (from Serbia and Montenegro)

National holiday: National Day 15 February

Constitution: adopted 8 November 2006; effective 10 November 2006

Legal system: civil law system

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (250 seats; deputies elected according to party lists to serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: courts of general jurisdiction (municipal courts district courts Appellate Courts the Supreme Court of Cassation); courts of special jurisdiction (commercial courts the High Commercial Court the High Magistrates Court the Administrative Court)

Political parties and leaders: Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians or SVM [Istvan PASZTOR]; Bosniak Democratic Union or BDU [Elmir ELFIC]; Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina or DSHV [Petar KUNTIC]; Democratic Party or DS [Dragan DJILAS]; The Greens of Serbia or ZS [Ivan KARIC]; Christian Democratic Party of Serbia or DHSS [Olgica BATIC]; Democratic Party of Serbia or DSS [Vojislav KOSTUNICA]; Serbian Progressive Party [Aleksandar VUCIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Cedomir JOVANOVIC]; New Serbia or NS [Velimir ILIC]; Albanian Coalition of Presevo Valley [Riza HALIMI]; Party of United Pensioners of Serbia or PUPS [Jovan KRKOBABIC]; Serbian Renewal Movement or SPO [Vuk DRASKOVIC]; League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina or LSV [Nenad CANAK]; Socialist Party of Serbia or SPS [Ivica DACIC]; United Regions of Serbia [Mladan DINKIC]; United Serbia or JS [Dragan 'Palma' MARKOVIC]; None of the Offered Options or NOPO [Nikola TULIMIROVIC]; Social Democratic Party of Serbia or SDPS [Rasim LJAJIC]; Party of Democratic Action of the Sandzak or SDA [Sulejman UGLJANIN]; Rich Serbia [Zaharije TRNAVCEVIC]; People's Party [Maja GOJKOVIC]

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

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: three equal horizontal stripes of red (top) blue and white - the Pan-Slav colors representing freedom and revolutionary ideals; charged with the coat of arms of Serbia shifted slightly to the hoist side; the principal field of the coat of arms represents the Serbian state and displays a white two-headed eagle on a red shield; a smaller red shield on the eagle represents the Serbian nation and is divided into four quarters by a white cross; a white Cyrillic 'C' in each quarter stands for the phrase 'Only Unity Saves the Serbs'; a royal crown surmounts the coat of arms

National symbols: double-headed eagle

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Serbia has a transitional economy mostly dominated by market forces but the state sector remains large and many institutional reforms are needed. The economy relies on manufacturing and exports driven largely by foreign investment. MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement of the economy an extended period of international economic sanctions civil war and the damage to Yugoslavia's infrastructure and industry during the NATO airstrikes in 1999 left the economy only half the size it was in 1990. After the ousting of former Federal Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in September 2000 the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition government implemented stabilization measures and embarked on a market reform program. After renewing its membership in the IMF in December 2000 Serbia continued to reintegrate into the international community by rejoining the World Bank (IBRD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Serbia has made progress in trade liberalization and enterprise restructuring and privatization but many large enterprises - including the power utilities telecommunications company natural gas company national air carrier and others - remain in state hands. Serbia has made some progress towards EU membership signing a Stabilization and Association Agreement with Brussels in May 2008 and with full implementation of the Interim Trade Agreement with the EU in February 2010 gained candidate status in March 2012. Serbia is also pursuing membership in the World Trade Organization and accession negotiations are at an advanced stage. Structural economic reforms needed to ensure the country's long-term prosperity have largely stalled since the onset of the global financial crisis. Serbia however is slowly recovering from the crisis. The economy slipped 0.5% in 2012 following growth of 2.0 % in 2011 1.0% in 2010 and a 3.5% contraction in 2009. High unemployment and stagnant household incomes are ongoing political and economic problems. Serbia signed a new $1.3 billion Precautionary Stand By Arrangement with the IMF in September 2011 that was set to expire in March 2013 but the program was frozen in early 2012 because the 2012 budget approved by parliament deviates from the program parameters. Growing deficits constrain the use of stimulus efforts to revive the economy while Serbia's concerns about inflation and exchange rate stability preclude the use of expansionary monetary policy. Serbia adopted a new long-term economic growth plan in 2010 that calls for a quadrupling of exports over ten years and heavy investments in basic infrastructure. Since the plan was adopted Serbia has increased its exports significantly. Major challenges ahead include: high unemployment rates and the need for job creation; high government expenditures for salaries pensions and unemployment benefits; a growing need for new government borrowing; rising public and private foreign debt; attracting new foreign direct investment; and getting the IMF program back on track. Other serious challenges include an inefficient judicial system high levels of corruption and an aging population. Factors favorable to Serbia's economic growth include a strategic location a relatively inexpensive and skilled labor force and free trade agreements with the EU Russia Turkey and countries that are members of the Central European Free Trade agreement.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 82

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 192

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 112

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: wheat maize sugar beets sunflower raspberries; beef pork milk

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: 2.1% (2011 est.)
Rank: 118

Labor force: 3.17 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 102

Unemployment rate: 23.7% (2011 est.)
Rank: 174

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 9.2% (2010 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index: 30 (2003)
Rank: 120

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -6.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 182

Taxes and other revenues: 41% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 47

Public debt: 45.1% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 48

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 11.2% (2011 est.)
Rank: 162

Central bank discount rate: 12% (17 January 2011)
Rank: 16

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 17.2% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 28

Stock of narrow money: $5.002 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 94

Stock of broad money: $18.55 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 90

Stock of domestic credit: $21.43 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 84

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 73

Current account balance: -$4.122 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 160

Exports: $11.78 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 87
Commodities: iron and steel rubber clothes wheat fruit and vegetables nonferrous metals electric appliances metal products weapons and ammunition

Imports: $19.45 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 77

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $15.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 62

Debt external: $31.53 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 69

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $11.95 billion (2006 est.)
Rank: 64

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 36.06 billion kWh (2011)
Production rank: 63
Consumption: 35.5 billion kWh (2011)
Consumption rank: 56
Exports: 2.017 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 44
Imports: 1.9 billion kWh (2011)
Imports rank: 49
Installed generating capacity: 8.359 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 61
Generation sources fossil fuels: 66.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 123
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 166
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 26.6% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 83
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 178

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 13,160 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 78
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 173
Crude oil imports: 45,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 58
Crude oil proven reserves: 77.5 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 77

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 55,960 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 81
Products consumption: 81,440 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 86
Products exports: 3,981 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products exports rank: 99
Products imports: 27,330 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 89

Natural gas
Production: 517 million m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 72
Consumption: 2.51 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 78
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 137
Imports: 2.15 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 49
Proven reserves: 48.14 billion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 68

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 49.92 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 64

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 3.03 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 51
Mobile cellular: 10.182 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 74

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .rs
Hosts: 1.102 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 44
Users: 4.107 million (2009)
Users rank: 57

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished effective December 2010; service obligation - 6 months with reserve obligation to age 60 for men and age 50 for women (2010)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 30 (2012)
Rank: 116

Heliports: 2 (2012)

Pipelines

Railways
Rank: 52

Roadways
Rank: 86

Waterways: 587 km (primarily on the Danube and Sava rivers) (2009)
Rank: 81

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Serbia with several other states protest the U.S. and other states' recognition of Kosovo's declaration of its status as a sovereign and independent state in February 2008; ethnic Serbian municipalities along Kosovo's northern border challenge final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundary; several thousand NATO-led Kosovo Force peacekeepers under United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo authority continue to keep the peace within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority in Kosovo; Serbia delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western Europe on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering