01
Physical geography
Mountains and valleys.
Local timeSarajevo ·
Europe / Southeast Europe · Card 007
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in Southeast Europe. Its capital is Sarajevo.
Find Bosnia and Herzegovina
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Sarajevo
- Languages
- Bosnian & Croatian & Serbian
- Currency
- Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark (BAM)
- Population
- 3.1 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 51,209 km²19,771.90 square miles
- Independence
- 1992from Yugoslavia
Bosnia and Herzegovina in context
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Sarajevo; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian.
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Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia.
Flag
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
History & independence
Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1992 after a referendum. A devastating war followed. The 1995 Dayton agreement ended the war and set out the country's present constitutional framework.
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Independence is declared from Yugoslavia
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The Dayton agreement ends the war
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A Stabilisation and Association Agreement is signed with the EU
Economy
Main activities
Services, manufacturing, metals, wood products and energy contribute to the economy. Remittances support many households, while tourism brings visitors to historic cities and mountain areas. Institutional fragmentation complicates economic coordination.
Industry and production
steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, ammunition, domestic appliances, oil refining
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people3.12025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,773,247 | 3.773 |
| 1980 | 4,148,426 | 4.148 |
| 1990 | 4,448,652 | 4.449 |
| 2000 | 4,159,771 | 4.160 |
| 2010 | 3,811,472 | 3.811 |
| 2020 | 3,299,349 | 3.299 |
| 2025 | 3,140,095 | 3.140 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars21.82025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3,520,858,802 | 3.521 |
| 1991 | 3,191,728,026 | 3.192 |
| 1992 | 2,986,279,442 | 2.986 |
| 1993 | 2,921,138,314 | 2.921 |
| 1994 | 3,246,318,381 | 3.246 |
| 1995 | 3,764,700,269 | 3.765 |
| 1996 | 5,805,141,479 | 5.805 |
| 1997 | 7,932,210,829 | 7.932 |
| 1998 | 9,250,256,734 | 9.250 |
| 1999 | 10,131,026,400 | 10.131 |
| 2000 | 10,679,552,182 | 10.680 |
| 2001 | 10,938,351,172 | 10.938 |
| 2002 | 11,488,270,723 | 11.488 |
| 2003 | 11,932,537,720 | 11.933 |
| 2004 | 12,687,302,704 | 12.687 |
| 2005 | 13,181,750,135 | 13.182 |
| 2006 | 13,895,410,482 | 13.895 |
| 2007 | 14,709,558,825 | 14.710 |
| 2008 | 15,510,030,555 | 15.510 |
| 2009 | 15,044,038,583 | 15.044 |
| 2010 | 15,174,269,896 | 15.174 |
| 2011 | 15,319,868,792 | 15.320 |
| 2012 | 15,193,964,403 | 15.194 |
| 2013 | 15,551,001,103 | 15.551 |
| 2014 | 15,730,436,008 | 15.730 |
| 2015 | 16,404,348,361 | 16.404 |
| 2016 | 16,936,219,695 | 16.936 |
| 2017 | 17,485,647,420 | 17.486 |
| 2018 | 18,155,173,558 | 18.155 |
| 2019 | 18,679,105,074 | 18.679 |
| 2020 | 18,115,912,618 | 18.116 |
| 2021 | 19,454,976,126 | 19.455 |
| 2022 | 20,277,301,651 | 20.277 |
| 2023 | 20,681,710,969 | 20.682 |
| 2024 | 21,349,068,377 | 21.349 |
| 2025 | 21,803,508,731 | 21.804 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.804Very High human developmentRank 74 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20000.674
20100.725
20200.783
20230.804
77.8 yearsLife expectancy at birth
11.0 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A parliamentary state with a three-member presidency, a Council of Ministers and a two-chamber Parliamentary Assembly. The Dayton framework divides responsibilities among state institutions, two entities and Brčko District. An international High Representative also has a role in implementing the peace settlement.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Bosnia and Herzegovina.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which agreement ended the war and established Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitutional framework?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.