01
Physical geography
Generally flat with much marshland.
Local timeMinsk ·
Europe / Eastern Europe · Card 005
Belarus
Belarus is a country in Eastern Europe. Its capital is Minsk.
Find Belarus
● 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
- Minsk
- Languages
- Belarusian & Russian
- Currency
- Belarusian ruble (BYN)
- Population
- 9.1 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 207,600 km²80,154.78 square miles
- Independence
- 1991from the Soviet Union
Belarus in context
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Minsk; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Belarusian, Russian.
03
Location
Eastern Europe, east of Poland.
Flag
Red horizontal band (top), with a green horizontal band below that is half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the left side has traditional Belarusian designs in red
History & independence
Belarus became independent in 1991 as the Soviet Union broke apart. Its territory had previously been divided among larger states and suffered extensive destruction during the Second World War. A new constitution created a presidency in 1994.
-
A Soviet Belarusian republic is established
-
Belarus becomes independent as the Soviet Union dissolves
-
A constitution establishes the presidency
Economy
Main activities
Manufacturing, agriculture and services all contribute. Important products include machinery, fertilizers, refined petroleum and food. State-owned enterprises and economic ties with Russia play a large role.
Industry and production
metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people9.12025 · 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 | 9,040,000 | 9.040 |
| 1980 | 9,643,000 | 9.643 |
| 1990 | 10,189,348 | 10.189 |
| 2000 | 9,979,610 | 9.980 |
| 2010 | 9,483,836 | 9.484 |
| 2020 | 9,379,952 | 9.380 |
| 2025 | 9,085,991 | 9.086 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars63.02025 · 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 | 29,435,120,616 | 29.435 |
| 1991 | 29,081,900,421 | 29.082 |
| 1992 | 26,290,037,664 | 26.290 |
| 1993 | 24,291,994,271 | 24.292 |
| 1994 | 21,449,830,003 | 21.450 |
| 1995 | 19,219,047,602 | 19.219 |
| 1996 | 19,757,181,812 | 19.757 |
| 1997 | 22,009,501,606 | 22.010 |
| 1998 | 23,858,297,841 | 23.858 |
| 1999 | 24,669,479,778 | 24.669 |
| 2000 | 26,100,310,413 | 26.100 |
| 2001 | 27,333,629,960 | 27.334 |
| 2002 | 28,712,684,732 | 28.713 |
| 2003 | 30,734,974,379 | 30.735 |
| 2004 | 34,254,050,021 | 34.254 |
| 2005 | 37,473,931,242 | 37.474 |
| 2006 | 41,221,322,392 | 41.221 |
| 2007 | 44,766,358,837 | 44.766 |
| 2008 | 49,332,527,209 | 49.333 |
| 2009 | 49,431,189,911 | 49.431 |
| 2010 | 53,262,115,569 | 53.262 |
| 2011 | 56,218,149,517 | 56.218 |
| 2012 | 57,178,272,608 | 57.178 |
| 2013 | 57,749,323,051 | 57.749 |
| 2014 | 58,702,836,390 | 58.703 |
| 2015 | 56,454,769,845 | 56.455 |
| 2016 | 55,028,470,318 | 55.028 |
| 2017 | 56,421,892,161 | 56.422 |
| 2018 | 58,198,729,025 | 58.199 |
| 2019 | 59,040,547,732 | 59.041 |
| 2020 | 58,643,356,628 | 58.643 |
| 2021 | 60,073,587,228 | 60.074 |
| 2022 | 57,275,121,696 | 57.275 |
| 2023 | 59,638,602,544 | 59.639 |
| 2024 | 62,232,879,596 | 62.233 |
| 2025 | 63,041,907,031 | 63.042 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.824Very High human developmentRank 65 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20000.724
20100.803
20200.815
20230.824
74.4 yearsLife expectancy at birth
12.3 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 presidential republic with a president, a government headed by a prime minister and a two-chamber National Assembly. State power is highly concentrated in the presidency.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Belarus.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which currency is listed for Belarus?
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.