Home/Countries/Bosnia and Herzegovina

Balkans

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia.

Muslim population50.7%of the population

Population3.4 millionpeople (current)

CapitalSarajevoUTC+1 · daylight saving in summer

Currency1.81 = $1Konvertibilna markas (BAM) (2024)

Country basics

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a Balkan republic made up of two entities and one self-governing district.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is led by a shared presidency under the 1995 Dayton Agreement, with Sarajevo as its capital. Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian are the official languages, the convertible mark is the currency, and metals lead its exports.

Official name

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Region

Europe · Southeast Europe

Government

Federal parliamentary directorial republic

Time zonesCheck the offset for your own city

UTC+01:00

Driving side

Right

Phone code

+387

Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark (BAM, KM)

Member of

Website

https://www.vijeceministara.gov.ba

Faith and language

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%

Languages

Bosnian; Croatian; Serbian

People and cities

Population

3.4 million (current)

Median ageHalf the population is younger than this

45.7 years (2025)

Living in cities

50.3% (2023)

Largest cities

Sarajevo (capital) 346,000

Money and cost of living

Exchange rateYearly average; check today’s rate before you budget

1.81 konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar (2024)

Income per personGDP per person, adjusted for local prices (2021 dollars)

$20,400 (2024)

InflationHow much prices rose over the year

1.7% (2024)

Unemployment

10.8% (2024)

Spent on foodShare of an average household’s spending

32.1% (2023)

Health and daily life

Life expectancy

78.5 years (2024)

Doctors

2.58 per 1,000 people (2019)

Hospital beds

2.3 per 1,000 people (2019)

Safe drinking water

96.1% of people (2022)

Electricity

100% of people (2022)

Internet users

83% of people (2023)

Land and climate

Climate

Hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast

SizeSlightly smaller than West Virginia

51,209 sq km

Natural hazards

Destructive earthquakes

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 March (1992) and Statehood Day, 25 November (1943) - both observed in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity; Victory Day, 9 May (1945) and Dayton Agreement Day, 21 November (1995) - both observed in the Republika Srpska entity