Factbook dossier
Background
In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. The monarchy remained in power until 1945, when the communist Partisans headed by Josip Broz (aka TITO) took control of the newly created Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). After TITO died in 1980, communism in Yugoslavia gradually gave way to resurgent nationalism. In 1989, Slobodan MILOSEVIC became president of the Republic of Serbia, and his calls for Serbian domination led to the violent breakup of Yugoslavia along ethnic lines. In 1991, Croatia, Slovenia, and Macedonia declared independence, followed by Bosnia in 1992. The remaining republics of Serbia and Montenegro declared a new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) in 1992, and MILOSEVIC led military campaigns to unite ethnic Serbs in neighboring republics into a "Greater Serbia." These actions ultimately failed, and international intervention led to the signing of the Dayton Accords in 1995. In 1998, an ethnic Albanian insurgency in the formerly autonomous Serbian province of Kosovo resulted in a brutal Serbian counterinsurgency campaign. Serbia rejected a proposed international settlement, and NATO responded with a bombing campaign that forced Serbian forces to withdraw from Kosovo in June 1999. In 2003, the FRY became the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, a loose federation of the two republics. In 2006, Montenegro seceded and declared itself an independent nation. In 2008, Kosovo also declared independence -- an action Serbia still refuses to recognize. In 2013, Serbia and Kosovo signed the first agreement…
Location
Southeastern Europe, between Macedonia and Hungary
Area
total : 77,474 sq km land: 77,474 sq km water: 0 sq km
Natural resources
oil, gas, coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, chromite, gold, silver, magnesium, pyrite, limestone, marble, salt, arable land
Natural hazards
destructive earthquakes
Population
total: 6,652,212 (2024 est.) male: 3,242,751 female: 3,409,461
Ethnic groups
Serb 83.3%, Hungarian 3.5%, Romani 2.1%, Bosniak 2%, other 5.7%, undeclared or unknown 3.4% (2011 est.) note: most ethnic Albanians boycotted the 2011 census; Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 5 11% of Serbia's population
Languages
Serbian (official) 88.1%, Hungarian 3.4%, Bosnian 1.9%, Romani 1.4%, other 3.4%, undeclared or unknown 1.8% (2011 est.) major-language sample(s): Knjiga svetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Serbian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: Serbian, Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, Croatian, and Ruthenian (Rusyn) are official in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina; most ethnic Albanians boycotted the 2011 census
Religions
Serbian Orthodox 81.1%, unknown 5.3%, Islam 4.2%, Catholic 3.9%, no response 2.5%, atheist 1.1%; less than 1%: other Christians, Protestant, agnostic (2022)
Environmental issues
air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities; water pollution from industrial wastes in rivers; inadequate management of domestic, industrial, and hazardous waste
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Belgrade (Beograd) geographic coordinates: 44 50 N, 20 30 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 comes from the Serbian words beo (white) and grad (city); it probably referred to the white stone of the city fortress
Executive branch
chief of state: President Aleksandar VUCIC (since 31 May 2017) head of government: Prime Minister Djuro MACUT (since 16 April 2025) cabinet: Cabinet elected by the National Assembly election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister elected by the National Assembly most recent election date: 17 December 2023 election results: 2022: Aleksandar VUCIC reelected in first round; percent of vote - Aleksandar VUCIC (SNS) 60%, Zdravko PONOS (US) 18.9%, Milos JOVANOVIC (NADA) 6.1%, Bosko OBRADOVIC (Dveri-POKS) 4.5%, Milica DJURDJEVIC STAMENKOVSKI (SSZ) 4.3%, other 6.2% 2017: Aleksandar VUCIC elected president in first round; percent of vote - Aleksandar VUCIC (SNS) 55.1%, Sasa JANKOVIC (independent) 16.4%, Luka MAKSIMOVIC (independent) 9.4%, Vuk JEREMIC (independent) 5.7%, Vojislav SESELJ (SRS) 4.5%, other 7.3%, invalid/blank 1.6%; Prime Minister Ana BRNABIC reelected by the National Assembly on 5 October 2020; National Assembly vote - NA expected date of next election: 2028
Legislative branch
legislature name: National Assembly (Narodna skupstina) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 250 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 12/17/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Aleksandar Vucic – Serbia Must Not Stop (129); Serbia Against Violence (65); Ivica Dacic - Prime Minister of Serbia (18); Dr Miloš Jovanović - Hope for Serbia (13); We – Voice of the People, Prof. Dr. Branimir Nestorovic (13); Other (12) percentage of women in chamber: 37.2% expected date of next election: December 2027
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$177.093 billion (2024 est.) $170.482 billion (2023 est.) $164.166 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$26,900 (2024 est.) $25,700 (2023 est.) $24,600 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.7% (2024 est.) 12.4% (2023 est.) 12% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Germany 15%, Hungary 7%, Bosnia & Herzegovina 5%, Italy 5%, Romania 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
Germany 12%, China 10%, Italy 7%, Turkey 5%, Hungary 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Serbian Armed Forces (Vojska Srbije, VS): Army (aka Land Forces; includes Riverine Component, consisting of a naval flotilla on the Danube), Air and Air Defense Forces, Serbian Guard Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs: Police Directorate (2025) note: the Serbian Guard is a brigade-sized unit that is directly subordinate to the Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff; its duties include safeguarding key defense facilities and rendering military honors to top foreign, state, and military officials
Military expenditures
2.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 2.4% of GDP (2023 est.) 2.2% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.2% of GDP (2021 est.) 2% of GDP (2020 est.)