Capital

Serbien

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 Serbian "Beograd" means "white fortress" or "white city" and dates back to the 9th century; the name derives from the white fortress wall that once enclosed the city

Citizenship

Serbien

citizenship by birth: no

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

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years

Legal system

Serbien

civil law system

Suffrage

Serbien

18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal

Area

Serbien

total: 77,474 sq km

land: 77,474 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Land use

Serbien

agricultural land: 57.9% (2018 est.)

arable land: 37.7% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 3.4% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 16.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 31.6% (2018 est.)

other: 10.5% (2018 est.)

Location

Serbien

Southeastern Europe, between Macedonia and Hungary

Age structure

Serbien

0-14 years: 14.45% (male 498,534/female 468,853)

15-64 years: 65.81% (male 2,216,701/female 2,188,267)

65 years and over: 19.74% (2023 est.) (male 547,344/female 773,676)

Birth rate

Serbien

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

Death rate

Serbien

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

Languages

Serbien

Serbian (official) 88.1%, Hungarian 3.4%, Bosnian 1.9%, Romani 1.4%, other 3.4%, undeclared or unknown 1.8%; note - Serbian, Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, Croatian, and Ruthenian (Rusyn) are official in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina; most ethnic Albanians boycotted the 2011 census (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s):
Knjiga svetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Serbian)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Serbien

total population: 75.1 years (2023 est.)

male: 72.5 years

female: 77.9 years

Major urban areas - population

Serbien

1.408 million BELGRADE (capital) (2023)

Median age

Serbien

total: 43.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 42.2 years

female: 45.2 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Serbien

28.2 years (2020 est.)

note: data does not cover Kosovo or Metohija

Net migration rate

Serbien

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

Population distribution

Serbien

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

Population growth rate

Serbien

-0.63% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Serbien

1.46 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Serbien

urban population: 57.1% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.04% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

note: data include Kosovo

Education expenditures

Serbien

3.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Serbien

total: 14 years

male: 14 years

female: 15 years (2021)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Serbien

0.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Serbien

8.63% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Serbien

3.176 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Serbien

23.2% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Serbien

11.81% (2021 est.)

9.01% (2020 est.)

10.39% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Serbien

62.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

73.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Serbien

4.09% (2021 est.)

1.58% (2020 est.)

1.85% (2019 est.)

Exports

Serbien

$33.726 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$25.5 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$26.127 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Serbien

Germany 12%, Italy 10%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 7%, Romania 6%, Russia 5%  (2019)

Imports

Serbien

$39.039 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$30.177 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$31.286 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Serbien

Germany 13%, Russia 9%, Italy 8%, Hungary 6%, China 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)

Airports

Serbien

26 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Serbien

total: 1,730,496 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 25 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Serbien

total: 5.589 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 81% (2021 est.)

Railways

Serbien

total: 3,333 km (2020) 1,274 km electrified

Roadways

Serbien

total: 44,248 km (2016)

paved: 28,000 km (2016) (16,162 km state roads, out of which 741 km highways)

unpaved: 16,248 km (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

Serbien

total subscriptions: 2,540,276 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Serbien

total subscriptions: 8,501,519 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 124 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Serbien

587 km (2009) (primarily on the Danube and Sava Rivers)

Disputes - international

Serbien

Serbia-Bosnia and Herzegovina: Serbia delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute

Serbia-Bulgaria: none identified

Serbia-Croatia: Serbia and Croatia dispute their border along the Danube; Serbia claims the border is the median between the current Danube shorelines, with the land to the eastern side of the median belonging to Serbia; Croatia contends that the boundary is demarcated according to historic maps, despite the river having meandered since then

Serbia-Hungary: none identified

Serbia-Kosovo: Serbia with several other states protested the US and other states' recognition of Kosovo's declaration of its status as a sovereign and independent state in February 2008; ethnic Serbian municipalities along Kosovo's northern border challenge final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundary; since 1999, NATO-led Kosovo Force peacekeepers under UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) authority have continued to keep the peace within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority; in October 2021, NATO-led KFOR increased patrols along the border with Serbia to deescalate hostilities caused by a dispute over license plates

Serbia-Montenegro: the former republic boundary serves as the boundary until a line is formally delimited and demarcated

Serbia-North Macedonia: none identified

Serbia-Romania: none identified