Background: 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.

Area
Total: 51,197 km²
Land: 51,187 km²
Water: 10 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 1,543 km
Border countries (3): (3) Croatia 956 km; Montenegro 242 km; Serbia 345 km

Coastline: 20 km

Maritime claims: NA

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

Elevation
Highest point: Maglic 2,386 m
Lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 500 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 21.7% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 7.2% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 1.4% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 12.8% (2023 est.)
Forest: 42.2% (2023 est.)
Other: 36.1% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes

Geography
Note: within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Montenegro

Population
Total: 3,798,671 (2024 est.)
Male: 1,852,164
Female: 1,946,507
Distribution: the northern and central areas of the country are the most densely populated
Growth rate: -0.25% (2024 est.)

Languages: Bosnian (official) 52.9%, Serbian (official) 30.8%, Croatian (official) 14.6%, other 1.6%, no answer 0.2% (2013 est.)
Major-language sample(s): ; Knjiga svjetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Bosnian); Knjiga svetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Serbian); Knjiga svjetskih činjenica, nužan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Croatian); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

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.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 13.1% (male 257,444/female 240,209)
15-64 years: 68.3% (male 1,305,271/female 1,290,920)
65 years and over: 18.6% (2024 est.) (male 289,449/female 415,378)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 43.5 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 16.8 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 26.7 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.7 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 44.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 43.1 years
Female: 46.5 years

Population growth rate: -0.25% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 8.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 10.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: the northern and central areas of the country are the most densely populated

Urbanization
Urban population: 50.3% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.61% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 346,000 SARAJEVO (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 6 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 75.5 years
Female: 81.6 years

Total fertility rate: 1.38 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 5.2% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 2.7% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 3.9% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0.5% of population (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 10.8% (2024 est.); 10.7% (2023 est.); 12.7% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Sarajevo
Geographic coordinates: 43 52 N, 18 25 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Etymology: the name derives from the Turkish word saray, meaning 'palace' or 'mansion'

Administrative divisions: 3 first-order administrative divisions - Brcko District (Brcko Distrikt) (ethnically mixed), Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine) (predominantly Bosniak-Croat), Republika Srpska (predominantly Serb)

Legal system: civil law system; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: Chairperson of the Presidency Zeljko KOMSIC (chairperson since 16 July 2025; presidency member since 20 November 2018 - Croat seat); Denis BECIROVIC (presidency member since 16 November 2022 - Bosniak seat); Zeljka CVIJANOVIC (presidency member since 16 November 2022 - Serb seat)
Head of government: Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Borjana KRISTO (since 25 January 2023)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairperson, approved by the state-level House of Representatives
Election/appointment process: 3-member presidency (1 Bosniak and 1 Croat elected from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 1 Serb elected from the Republika Srpska) directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term but then ineligible for 4 years); the presidency chairpersonship rotates every 8 months, with the new member of the presidency elected with the highest number of votes starting the new mandate as chair; the chairperson of the Council of Ministers appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the state-level House of Representatives
Most recent election date: 2 October 2022
2022: percent of vote - Denis BECIROVIC - (SDP BiH) 57.4% - Bosniak seat; Zeljko KOMSIC (DF) 55.8% - Croat seat; Zeljka CVIJANOVIC (SNSD) 51.7% - Serb seat
2018: percent of vote - Milorad DODIK (SNSD) 53.9% - Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC (DF) 52.6% - Croat seat; Sefik DZAFEROVIC (SDA) 36.6% - Bosniak seat
Expected date of next election: October 2026
Note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Lidiia BRADARA (since 28 February 2023)

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliamentary Assembly (Skupstina)
Legislative structure: bicameral

Flag description: a wide blue vertical band on the right side, with a large yellow isosceles triangle in the middle of the flag, based at the top; the rest of the flag is blue, with seven five-pointed white stars and two half-stars along the triangle's hypotenuse

National anthem
Title: 'Drzavna himna Bosne i Hercegovine' (The National Anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Lyrics/music: none officially/Dusan SESTIC
History: music adopted 1999; lyrics proposed in 2009 were accepted by a parliamentary commission but are still awaiting adoption, so the anthem remains officially wordless

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 5 (3 cultural, 2 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 2.5% (2024 est.); 2% (2023 est.); 4.2% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 2.5% (2024 est.); 2% (2023 est.); 4.2% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 68.3% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 19.1% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23.1% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 3.2% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 43.9% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -55.7% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4.3% (2024 est.)
Industry: 22% (2024 est.)
Services: 58% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, ammunition, domestic appliances, oil refining

Industrial production growth rate: -2.4% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 1.356 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 10.8% (2024 est.); 10.7% (2023 est.); 12.7% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 10.8% (2024 est.); 10.7% (2023 est.); 12.7% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $10.196 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $10.463 billion (2023 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 19.1% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $12.141 billion (2024 est.); $12.126 billion (2023 est.); $11.838 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: footwear, electricity, garments, plastic products, insulated wire (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $16.202 billion (2024 est.); $15.37 billion (2023 est.); $15.166 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, garments, plastic products, packaged medicine (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 4.682 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 12.867 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Exports: 7.104 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 3.6 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 1.339 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 64% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 31.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 1.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 12.311 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 12.304 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 1.254 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 1.327 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 2.264 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 34,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Natural gas
Consumption: 228.855 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 228.855 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 24.513 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 19.292 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 4.785 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 436,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 91.227 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 614,000 (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 3.87 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 118 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 83% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 908,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2023 est.)

Military expenditures: 0.8% of GDP (2024 est.); 0.8% of GDP (2023 est.); 0.8% of GDP (2022 est.); 0.9% of GDP (2021 est.); 0.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 20 (2025)

Heliports: 3 (2025)

Railways
Total: 965 km (2014)
Standard gauge: 965 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (565 km electrified)