{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "
Bosnia and Herzegovina declared sovereignty in October 1991 and independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a \"Greater Serbia.\" In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak-Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that ended three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995).
The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a multiethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of 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 Federation and RS governments are responsible for overseeing most government functions. Additionally, the Dayton Accords established the Office of the High Representative to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. The Peace Implementation Council at its conference in Bonn in 1997 also gave the High Representative the authority to impose legislation and remove officials, the so-called \"Bonn Powers.\" An original NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops assembled in 1995 was succeeded over time by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. Currently, EUFOR deploys around 600 troops in theater in a security assistance and training capacity.
" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "44 00 N, 18 00 E" }, "Map references": { "text": "Europe" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "51,197 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "51,187 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "10 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "slightly smaller than West Virginia" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "1,543 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Croatia 956 km; Montenegro 242 km; Serbia 345 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "20 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "text": "NA" }, "Climate": { "text": "hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast" }, "Terrain": { "text": "mountains and valleys" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Maglic 2,386 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Adriatic Sea 0 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "500 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "coal, iron ore, antimony, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, timber, hydropower" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "42.2% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 19.7% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 2% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 20.5% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "42.8% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "15% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "30 sq km (2012)" }, "Major watersheds (area sq km)": { "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "the northern and central areas of the country are the most densely populated" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "destructive earthquakes" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "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, and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "text": "3,824,782 (July 2021 est.)" }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Bosnian, Herzegovinian" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Bosniak 50.1%, Serb 30.8%, Croat 15.4%, other 2.7%, not declared/no answer 1% (2013 est.)", "note": "note: Republika Srpska authorities dispute the methodology and refuse to recognize the results; Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam" }, "Languages": { "Languages": { "text": "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)": { "text": "Bosnia and Herzegovina has a transitional economy with limited market reforms. The economy relies heavily on the export of metals, energy, textiles, and furniture as well as on remittances and foreign aid. A highly decentralized government hampers economic policy coordination and reform, while excessive bureaucracy and a segmented market discourage foreign investment. The economy is among the least competitive in the region. Foreign banks, primarily from Austria and Italy, control much of the banking sector, though the largest bank is a private domestic one. The konvertibilna marka (convertible mark) - the national currency introduced in 1998 - is pegged to the euro through a currency board arrangement, which has maintained confidence in the currency and has facilitated reliable trade links with European partners. Bosnia and Herzegovina became a full member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement in September 2007. In 2016, Bosnia began a three-year IMF loan program, but it has struggled to meet the economic reform benchmarks required to receive all funding installments.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's private sector is growing slowly, but foreign investment dropped sharply after 2007 and remains low. High unemployment remains the most serious macroeconomic problem. Successful implementation of a value-added tax in 2006 provided a steady source of revenue for the government and helped rein in gray-market activity, though public perceptions of government corruption and misuse of taxpayer money has encouraged a large informal economy to persist. National-level statistics have improved over time, but a large share of economic activity remains unofficial and unrecorded.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's top economic priorities are: acceleration of integration into the EU; strengthening the fiscal system; public administration reform; World Trade Organization membership; and securing economic growth by fostering a dynamic, competitive private sector.
" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": { "text": "$47.05 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$49.17 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": { "text": "$47.82 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2010 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2017": { "text": "3% (2017 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2016": { "text": "3.2% (2016 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2015": { "text": "3.1% (2015 est.)" } }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2020": { "text": "$14,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$14,900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2018": { "text": "$14,400 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2010 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$20.078 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "1.2% (2017 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016": { "text": "-1.1% (2016 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Moody's rating": { "text": "B3 (2012)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "B (2011)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "6.8% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "28.9% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "64.3% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "77.4% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "20% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "16.6% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "2.3% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "38.7% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-55.1% (2017 est.)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "maize, milk, vegetables, potatoes, wheat, plums/sloes, apples, barley, cabbages, poultry" }, "Industries": { "text": "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": { "text": "3% (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "806,000 (2020 est.)" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { "text": "18%" }, "industry": { "text": "30.4%" }, "services": { "text": "51.7% (2017 est.)" } }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2019": { "text": "33.28% (2019 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2018": { "text": "35.97% (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: official rate; actual rate is lower as many technically unemployed persons work in the gray economy" }, "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": { "total": { "text": "36.6%" }, "male": { "text": "32.5%" }, "female": { "text": "42.8% (2020 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "16.9% (2015 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2011": { "text": "33 (2011 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2007": { "text": "33.1 (2007)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "2.9%" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "25.8% (2011 est.)" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "7.993 billion (2017 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "7.607 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "2.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "39.5% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt 2016": { "text": "44.1% of GDP (2016 est.)" }, "note": "note: data cover general government debt and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions." }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "44% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "calendar year" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2017": { "text": "-$873 million (2017 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2016": { "text": "-$821 million (2016 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2020": { "text": "$6.81 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)" }, "Exports 2019": { "text": "$8.17 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)" }, "Exports 2018": { "text": "$8.57 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "Germany 14%, Italy 12%, Croatia 11%, Serbia 11%, Austria 9%, Slovenia 8% (2019)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "electricity, seating, leather shoes, furniture, insulated wiring (2019)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2020": { "text": "$9.71 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)" }, "Imports 2019": { "text": "$11.15 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)" }, "Imports 2018": { "text": "$11.55 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "Croatia 15%, Serbia 13%, Germany 10%, Italy 9%, Slovenia 7%, China 6% (2019)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, coal, electricity (2019)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { "text": "$6.474 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": { "text": "$5.137 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 31 December 2017": { "text": "$10.87 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Debt - external 31 December 2016": { "text": "$10.64 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "currency": { "text": "konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2017": { "text": "1.729 (2017 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2016": { "text": "1.7674 (2016 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2015": { "text": "1.7674 (2015 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2014": { "text": "1.7626 (2014 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2013": { "text": "1.4718 (2013 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "100% (2020)" } }, "Electricity - production": { "text": "16.99 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - consumption": { "text": "11.87 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - exports": { "text": "6.007 billion kWh (2015 est.)" }, "Electricity - imports": { "text": "3.084 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - installed generating capacity": { "text": "4.676 million kW (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from fossil fuels": { "text": "49% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from nuclear fuels": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from hydroelectric plants": { "text": "51% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from other renewable sources": { "text": "1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Crude oil - production": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "Crude oil - exports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - imports": { "text": "18,480 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - proved reserves": { "text": "0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - consumption": { "text": "32,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "4,603 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "18,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas - production": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - consumption": { "text": "226.5 million cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - exports": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - imports": { "text": "226.5 million cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - proved reserves": { "text": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)" } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "706,135 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "21.52 (2020 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "3,509,674 (2020)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "107 (2020 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "Bosnia-Herzegovina aims for national LTE coverage through integration with European Union (EU); roaming agreements with EU and Balkan neighbors; fixed-line broadband is underdeveloped, investments in mobile upgrades facilitate broadband connectivity to a greater extent than in Europe; DSL and cable are the main platforms for fixed-line connectivity while fiber broadband has a small market presence; operators support broadband in rural areas where fixed-line infrastructure is insufficient; LTE services under test licenses; 5G awaits market maturity; importer of broadcasting equipment from China
(2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line teledensity roughly 22 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscribership stands at 107 telephones per 100 persons (2020)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 387; no satellite earth stations" }, "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "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 broadcasting stations; 3 large public radio broadcasters and many private radio stations (2019)" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".ba" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "2.32 million (2021 est.)" }, "percent of population": { "text": "73.21% (2020 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "770,624 (2020)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "23.49 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "1 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "1" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "7,070 (2015)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "87 mt-km (2015)" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "T9" }, "Airports": { "total": { "text": "24 (2013)" } }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "total": { "text": "7" }, "2,438 to 3,047 m": { "text": "4" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "1" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "2 (2017)" } }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "total": { "text": "17" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "1" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "5" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "11 (2013)" } }, "Heliports": { "text": "6 (2013)" }, "Pipelines": { "text": "147 km gas, 9 km oil (2013)" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "965 km (2014)" }, "standard gauge": { "text": "965 km 1.435-m gauge (565 km electrified) (2014)" } }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "22,926 km (2010)" }, "paved": { "text": "19,426 km (4,652 km of interurban roads) (2010)" }, "unpaved": { "text": "3,500 km (2010)" } }, "Waterways": { "text": "(Sava River on northern border; open to shipping but use limited) (2011)" }, "Ports and terminals": { "river port(s)": { "text": "Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, Brcko, Orasje (Sava River)" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH or Oruzanih Snaga Bosne i Hercegovine, OSBiH): Operations Command (includes Army, Air, and Air Defense units), Support Command (2021)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "0.9% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "0.9% of GDP (2020)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "0.8% of GDP (2019)" }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "0.9% of GDP (2018)" }, "Military Expenditures 2017": { "text": "0.9% of GDP (2017)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina have approximately 9,000 active duty personnel (2021)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the inventory for the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina includes mainly Soviet-era weapons systems with a small and varied mix of older European and US equipment (2021)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 35 or after 15 years of service for E-1 through E-4, mandatory retirement at age 50 and 30 years of service for E-5 through E-9, mandatory retirement at age 55 and 30 years of service for all officers; conscription abolished in 2005 (2021)", "note": "note - as of 2019, women made up about 7% of the military's full-time personnel" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) are comprised of the former Bosnian-Croat Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Vojska Federacije Bosne i Hercegovin, VF) and the Bosnian-Serb Republic of Serbia Army (Vojska Republike Srpske, VRS); the two forces were unified under the 2003 Law on Defense, which also established the country’s Ministry of Defense
the European Union Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR) has operated in the country to oversee implementation of the Dayton/Paris Agreement since taking over from NATO's Stabilization Force (SFOR) in 2004; in addition to its security mission, EUFOR supports the overall EU comprehensive strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the efforts of the AFBiH to attain NATO standards; as of 2022, it had about 600 troops from 19 countries
Bosnia and Herzegovina joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in 2007 and was invited to join NATO’s Membership Action Plan in 2010; as of 2021, NATO maintained a military headquarters in Sarajevo with the mission of assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina with the PfP program and promoting closer integration with NATO, as well as providing logistics and other support to EUFOR
" } }, "Terrorism": { "Terrorist group(s)": { "text": "Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force", "note": "note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Disputes - international": { "text": "
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": { "refugees (country of origin)": { "text": "5,112 (Croatia) (2020)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "99,000 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks displaced by inter-ethnic violence, human rights violations, and armed conflict during the 1992-95 war) (2020)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "149 (mid-year 2021)" }, "note": "note: 86,915 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-February 2022)" }, "Trafficking in persons": { "current situation": { "text": "human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosnians and Herzegovinians abroad; Bosnian and foreign women and girls are sex trafficked within the country; Bosnians are also exploited through forced labor in construction and other industries in neighboring Balkan countries and throughout Europe; thousands of migrants and refugees smuggled through Bosnia and Herzegovina are vulnerable to trafficking, especially women and unaccompanied minors; Romani children are victims of forced begging, sex trafficking, and domestic servitude" }, "tier rating": { "text": "Tier 2 Watch List — Bosnia and Herzegovina does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; because the government devoted sufficient resources to a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute significant efforts to meet minimum standards, Bosnia and Herzegovina was granted a waiver from being downgraded to Tier 3; the government adopted a national strategy in January 2020; the State Prosecutor’s Office appointed a prosecutor to the anti-trafficking strike force, the only mechanism to coordinate law enforcement efforts across entities on trafficking cases; the government identified more trafficking victims and revised the structure and guidelines of regional coordinating teams to increase effectiveness; however, the lack of an approved state budget delayed funding for anti-trafficking efforts; law enforcement continued to regularly investigate trafficking under lesser offenses, while judges continued to issue sentences below the minimum penalty; the government continued to penalize victims and did not disburse annual funds to NGOs for victim protection (2020)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "drug trafficking groups are major players in the procurement and transportation of large quantities of cocaine destined for European markets
" } } }