Capital

Belarus

name: Minsk

geographic coordinates: 53 54 N, 27 34 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the origin of the name is disputed; Minsk may originally have been located 16 km to the southwest, on the banks of Menka River; remnants of a 10th-century settlement on the banks of the Menka have been found

Citizenship

Belarus

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Belarus

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Legal system

Belarus

civil law system; note - nearly all major codes (civil, civil procedure, criminal, criminal procedure, family, and labor) were revised and came into force in 1999 and 2000

Suffrage

Belarus

18 years of age; universal

Area

Belarus

total: 207,600 sq km

land: 202,900 sq km

water: 4,700 sq km

Land use

Belarus

agricultural land: 43.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 27.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 15.9% (2018 est.)

forest: 42.7% (2018 est.)

other: 13.6% (2018 est.)

Location

Belarus

Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Age structure

Belarus

0-14 years: 15.83% (male 764,281/female 721,632)

15-64 years: 66.81% (male 3,055,606/female 3,213,751)

65 years and over: 17.36% (2023 est.) (male 544,270/female 1,084,313)

Birth rate

Belarus

8.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Belarus

13.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Belarus

Russian (official) 71.4%, Belarusian (official) 26%, other 0.3% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 2.3% (2009 est.)

major-language sample(s):
Книга фактов о мире – незаменимый источник базовой информации. (Russian)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Belarus

total population: 74.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 69.6 years

female: 79.9 years

Major urban areas - population

Belarus

2.057 million MINSK (capital) (2023)

Median age

Belarus

total: 41.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 39.1 years

female: 44.6 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Belarus

26.8 years (2019 est.)

Net migration rate

Belarus

0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Belarus

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

Population growth rate

Belarus

-0.39% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Belarus

1.45 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Belarus

urban population: 80.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Belarus

4.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Belarus

total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 15 years (2021)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Belarus

2.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Belarus

6.7% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Belarus

4.95 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Belarus

5% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

Belarus

4.74% (2021 est.)

4.77% (2020 est.)

4.16% (2019 est.)

note: official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers

Public debt

Belarus

33.24% of GDP (2019 est.)

37.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

39.88% of GDP (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Belarus

9.46% (2021 est.)

5.55% (2020 est.)

5.6% (2019 est.)

Exports

Belarus

$49.425 billion (2021 est.)

$37.183 billion (2020 est.)

$41.975 billion (2019 est.)

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - partners

Belarus

Russia 42%, Ukraine 13%, United Kingdom 7% (2019)

Imports

Belarus

$45.459 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$35.236 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$42.378 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Belarus

Russia 57%, China 7%, Poland 5%, Germany 5%, Ukraine 5% (2019)

Airports

Belarus

65 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Belarus

total: 3,255,552 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Belarus

total: 8.352 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 87% (2021 est.)

Railways

Belarus

total: 5,528 km (2014)

standard gauge: 25 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

broad gauge: 5,503 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)

Roadways

Belarus

total: 86,600 km (2017)

Telephones - fixed lines

Belarus

total subscriptions: 4,332,754 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 45 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Belarus

total subscriptions: 11,760,087 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 123 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Belarus

2,500 km (2011) (major rivers are the west-flowing Western Dvina and Neman Rivers and the south-flowing Dnepr River and its tributaries, the Berezina, Sozh, and Pripyat Rivers)

Disputes - international

Belarus

Belarus-Latvia: boundary demarcated with Latvia

Belarus-Lithuania: boundary demarcated with Lithuania.

Belarus-Poland: as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland has implemented strict Schengen border rules to restrict illegal immigration and trade along its border with Belarus.