National Identity
- Official name
- Republic of Belarus
- Official name (in Belarusian)
- Рэспубліка Беларусь
- Official name (in Belarusian, Romanized)
- Respublika Belarus
- Official name (in Russian)
- Республика Беларусь
- Official name (in Russian, Romanized)
- Respublika Belarus
- Name etymology
the name is a compound of the Slavic words "bel" (white) and "Rus" (the Old East Slavic ethnic designation) to form the meaning White Rusian or White Ruthenian
Sources:- Constitution of the Republic of Belarus ↗ - Official Internet Portal of the President of the Republic of Belarus
- The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- National emblem
- National flag
- Red – strength, courage, nobility, energy;
- Green – hope, health, youth, revival, diligence, creation, natural harmony;
- White – purity, innocence, reconciliation, wisdom, knowledge.
Translated from the National Center of Legislation and Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus The State Flag of the Republic of Belarus is a rectangular cloth consisting of two horizontal coloured stripes: the upper one red and the lower one green. The ratio of the widths of the red and green stripes is 2:1. The ratio of the width of the State Flag of the Republic of Belarus to its length is 1:2. At the staff, a Belarusian national ornament in red is placed vertically on a white field, which makes up 1/9 of the length of the State Flag of the Republic of Belarus.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus The colours of our flag have the following meanings:
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus The ornament is a symbol of the ancient culture of the people, of its spiritual wealth. The content of the ornament on the State Flag tells of bread, the harvest and the continuation of the family line; it glorifies diligence and craftsmanship – the foundation of a person's happy lot.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus The ornament placed on the flag was embroidered in 1917 by Matryona Markevich, a peasant woman from the village of Kostelishche, Senno District, Vitebsk Region.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from Belarus Today Matryona Markevich's brother, Mikhail Katser — a respected ethnographer and art historian — proposed using the ornament in creating the state symbols. In 1951 he was given a task by the President of the Academy of Sciences to find for the new flag of the BSSR a symbolic detail that could emphasise the distinctiveness and mentality of the Belarusian people. [...] In the archives, Mikhail Sergeyevich found his sister's towel. [...] The artist Mikhail Gusev adapted the ornament for depiction on the country's main symbol.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from Belarus Today In 1995 the country returned to the former symbols with minor changes. The hammer and sickle were abolished, and the familiar ornament became red on a white background (on the flag of the BSSR it was white on a red background).
Unofficial translation by WorldometerSources:- pravo.by ↗ - the National Center of Legislation and Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus
- president.gov.by ↗ - the Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus
- sb.by ↗ - Belarus Today
- National anthem
- Dziaržaŭny himn Respubliki Biełaruś (Дзяржаўны гімн Рэспублікі Беларусь)1:56
- Title (in Belarusian)
- Дзяржаўны гімн Рэспублікі Беларусь
- Title (in Belarusian, Romanized)
- Dziaržaŭny himn Respubliki Biełaruś
- Title (in English, translated)
- State Anthem of the Republic of Belarus
- Unofficial title (in Belarusian)
- Мы, беларусы
- Unofficial title (in Belarusian, Romanized)
- My, Biełarusy
- Unofficial title (in English, translated)
- We Belarusians
- Lyrics
1Мы, беларусы – мірныя людзі, Сэрцам адданыя роднай зямлі, Шчыра сябруем, сілы гартуем Мы ў працавітай, вольнай сям’і.
ChorusСлаўся, зямлі нашай светлае імя, Слаўся, народаў братэрскі саюз! Наша любімая маці-Радзіма, Вечна жыві і квітней, Беларусь!
2Разам з братамі мужна вякамі Мы баранілі родны парог, У бітвах за волю, бітвах за долю Свой здабывалі сцяг перамог!
Слаўся, зямлі нашай светлае імя,3Дружба народаў – сіла народаў – Наш запаветны, сонечны шлях. Горда ж узвіся ў ясныя высі, Сцяг пераможны – радасці сцяг!
Слаўся, зямлі нашай светлае імя,Source: - Citizens
- Belarusians
- Official name:Constitution of the Republic of Belarus ↗ - Official Internet Portal of the President of the Republic of Belarus
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- National flag:pravo.by ↗ - the National Center of Legislation and Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus
- National flag:president.gov.by ↗ - the Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus
- National flag:sb.by ↗ - Belarus Today
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Eastern Europe, east of Poland
- Total area
- 207,600 km²
- Land area
- 202,900 km²
- Water area
- 4,700 km²
- Land borders
- 3,599 km(5 countries)
- Coastline
- 0 km(Landlocked)
- Terrain
Generally flat with much marshland - Mean elevation
- 160 m
- Highest point
- 346 mDzyarzhynskaya Hara
- Lowest point
- 90 mNyoman River
- Climate
Cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime - Avg. temperature
- 7.4 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 3.2 to 11 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 723 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January −2 −4.1 −6.6 48 February −1 −3.5 −6.5 44 March 4.3 0.9 −2.9 46 April 12.5 7.9 2.8 49 May 18.4 13.6 7.8 71 June 21.7 17.1 11.5 78 July 23.7 19.1 13.6 94 August 23.1 18 12.4 71 September 17.3 12.7 8 60 October 10.4 6.9 3.4 59 November 3.6 1.6 −0.7 52 December −0.6 −2.5 −4.6 50 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable27.4%Perm. crops0.4%Pasture11.7%Forest44.0%Other16.5%
- Arable land
- 5,567,800 hectares (27.4%)
- Permanent crops
- 85,500 hectares (0.4%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 2,380,700 hectares (11.7%)
- Forest
- 8,922,460 hectares (44.0%)
- Other land
- 3,339,540 hectares (16.5%)
Source: - Natural hazards2026
- River floods5.8High#79/191Epidemics3.5Low#141/191Drought1.7Very low#134/191Earthquakes0.1Very low#127/191Tsunamis0.0Very lowTropical cyclones0.0Very lowCoastal floods0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate, Major rivers:The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- −0.67% per year−60,585 people/yearWorld Rank212thof 237
- Birth rate
- 6.9 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 13.3 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- −0.4 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 41.8 yearsWorld Rank49thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years15.5%15-64 years65.7%65 years +18.9%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 18.9%
- Share aged under 18
- 19.1%
- Total dependency ratio
- 52
- Youth dependency ratio
- 24
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 29
- Sex ratio
- 0.87 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.8% 2.5% 70-79 3.0% 5.8% 60-69 5.7% 8.0% 50-59 6.2% 7.2% 40-49 7.7% 7.9% 30-39 7.3% 7.0% 20-29 5.0% 4.7% 10-19 6.4% 6.0% 0-9 4.6% 4.3% - 2026
- 0.87 below the replacement level for Belarus ()1.23 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank215thof 237
- 0.59 daughters per woman0.41 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- −6.5 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 6.5 more deaths than births a year
- 2026
- −0.4 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 79.8% live in cities7,134,690 urban residents
- Largest cities2023
- Minsk, Gomel, Vitebsk, GrodnoRankCity or SettlementPopulation (2023 estimate)1Minsk1,995,4712Gomel501,8023Vitebsk359,1484Grodno358,7175Mogilev353,3386Brest342,4617Babruysk208,6118Baranovichi172,1509Barysaw136,40910Pinsk124,613Source:
- National Statistical Committee of Belarus (2023 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- A fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations.
- Ethnic groups2009
- Belarusian83.7%Russian8.3%Polish3.1%Ukrainian1.7%Other2.4%Unspecified0.9%
- Religions2011
- Orthodox48.3%Catholic7.1%Other3.5%Non-believer41.1%
- Languages
- Belarusian (Беларуская), Russian (Русский)
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:National Statistical Committee of Belarus (2023 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- RepublicThe President is head of state and guarantor of the Constitution, elected directly by the people for five years; no one may serve more than two terms (Arts. 79, 81).
- System of government
- Semi-presidentialThe President appoints the Prime Minister with the House of Representatives' prior consent and other ministers alone; the Government is accountable to the President and responsible to Parliament, and a no-confidence vote can lead the President to dissolve the House (Arts. 84, 94, 97, 106).
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Official websites
- Capital
- Minsk2 million people(2024)
- National holidays
- 13 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- FriJan 2New Year's Day
- WedJan 7Orthodox Christmas Day
- SunMar 8Women's Day
- SunApr 5Catholic Easter
- SunApr 12Orthodox Easter
- MonApr 20Day off (substituted from 04/25/2026)
- TueApr 21Radunitsa (Day of Rejoicing)
- FriMay 1Labor Day
- SatMay 9Victory Day
- FriJul 3Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus (Day of the Republic)
- SatNov 7October Revolution Day
- FriDec 25Catholic Christmas Day
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- MSKMoscow Standard TimeUTC+3
- Currency
- Belarusian Ruble (BYN)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +375
- Internet TLD
- .by
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- BY, BLR
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 1,322,490 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Heliports
- 4
- Aircraft departures
- 13,168 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Air freight
- 5.6 million tonne-km(2023)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- EW
Sources:- The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- BelaviaState-owned
- Passenger rail
- Belarusian Railway
- 2025
- 31 / 100World Rank124thof 182
Significant declinerDown 16 points since 2020, when it scored 47.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 31 25 37 2013 29 22 36 2014 31 24 38 2015 32 25 39 2016 40 33 46 2017 44 37 51 2018 44 38 50 2019 45 38.1 51.9 2020 47 41.5 52.5 2021 41 37.1 44.9 2022 39 33.9 44.1 2023 37 31.5 42.5 2024 33 27.8 38.2 2025 31 25.3 36.7 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Конституция Республики Беларусь 1994 года (с изменениями и дополнениями, принятыми на республиканских референдумах 24 ноября 1996 г., 17 октября 2004 г. и 27 февраля 2022 г.) ↗ - National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- Upper middle income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +1.9% per yearWorld Rank137thof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $11,963 (85th in the world)
Source:- 2025
- Services50% of GDPIndustry31.6% of GDPAgriculture6.9% of GDPManufacturing20.5%part of industry
- Households
- +55.6%
- Government
- +18.9%
- Investment
- +27.1%
- Exports
- +55.1%
- Imports
- −57%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 5.1%down 1.5 percentage points1.5pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 4.8 million (53% of population)World Rank89thof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 63.3% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 3.5%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 10.5% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $30.6 per hour worked at PPP
- Budget balance2026
- 0.4% of GDP surplus
- Current account
- 3.2% of GDP, $3.5 billion deficit
Source: - Debt2024
- Government debt44.4% of GDP
- Trade2025
- Goods$40 billion77.3%
- Services$11.7 billion22.7%
- Total exports
- $51.7 billion
- Change from 2024
- up 4.2 percent on the previous year4.2%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- 2024
- +0.79World Rank36thof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +2.2% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Triticale, Rye, Sugar beet, and 7 more
- 1Triticale30×
- 2Rye26×
- 3Sugar beet6.4×
- 4Oats5.4×
- 5Rape or colza seed4.5×
- 6Raw milk of cattle4.1×
- 7Potatoes3×
- 8Barley2.9×
- 9Carrots and turnips2.7×
- 10Meat of cattle with the bone (fresh or chilled)2.2×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Gold reserves2025
- 53.9 tonnesWorth $7.6 billion, 52% of total official reserves by value
- Industries
- metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade, Gold reserves:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- Economic Complexity Index:Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
- 2024
- BYN 626 per month, gross$193 (USD), $766 (PPP)
- Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.824Very highWorld Rank65thof 193BelarusWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Belarus World 1995 0.692 0.625 1996 0.697 0.631 1997 0.704 0.636 1998 0.709 0.641 1999 0.716 0.646 2000 0.724 0.651 2001 0.731 0.657 2002 0.738 0.662 2003 0.747 0.669 2004 0.758 0.675 2005 0.767 0.681 2006 0.777 0.688 2007 0.786 0.694 2008 0.796 0.698 2009 0.798 0.701 2010 0.803 0.707 2011 0.812 0.713 2012 0.818 0.717 2013 0.821 0.721 2014 0.825 0.726 2015 0.825 0.731 2016 0.825 0.735 2017 0.828 0.739 2018 0.827 0.741 2019 0.826 0.745 2020 0.815 0.742 2021 0.817 0.742 2022 0.824 0.752 2023 0.824 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2020
- 24.4
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 12.3 years
- Expected for a child today
- 13.7 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2019
- 99.9% of adults
- Education expenditure2024
- 5% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 12.3%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 94.3% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 94.1%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 11.9 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 4,144,202
- Fixed broadband
- 36.3 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2017
- 19% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 71%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 81%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 79%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 41,807 people
- Asylum seekers
- 1,284
- Stateless persons
- 5,550
- Refugees from Belarus abroad
- 18,776
Source:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists2022
- 1.5 million arrivalsdown 32% against 201932% below 2019World Rank74thof 139
- Per resident
- 1.6 arrivals per 10 residents
- Same-day visitors
- 82,000 arrivals
- $661.5 million(2021, latest available)
- 1.9% tourism direct GDP
- Domestic trips
- 2.9 million overnight trips by residents
- Residents' trips abroad
- 344,000 overnight trips
- $664.3 million(2021, latest available)
- Hotel beds
- 39,044(2024)
- Average hotel stay
- 2.2 nights(2024)
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2022A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 4 sites3 cultural1 natural
Site Type Białowieża Forest Natural Mir Castle Complex Cultural Architectural, Residential, and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh Cultural The Factbook names 3 of the 4 sites.
Source:- The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites:The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- None - no active crisis
- Homicide rate2024
- Low by global standards1.5 per 100,000 peopleWorld Rank67thof 115
- Crime rates
- 6 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 1.5 139 2024 Serious assault 7.6 719 2019 Sexual violence 9.5 893 2019 Kidnapping 0.1 8 2019 Theft 427.8 40,528 2014 Vehicle theft 6.0 570 2014 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2018
- 343.4 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 32,556
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 75.0 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 7.1% of GDP$558 per person
- Physicians2023
- 4.72 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2023
- 9.8 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 2.3 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 1 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 11.4 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2023
- 29.7% of adults
- Men
- 45.4%
- Women
- 14%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending2023
- 7.6% of household spendingWorld Rank5thof 105
- World median
- 3.1%
Source:- The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 7.6 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending:The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 54.2 Mt per yearup 0.7 percent on the previous year0.7% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 5.8 t per personWorld Rank49thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- 0.14%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 18.4 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 14.8 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 0.07 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 87.5 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 11.6 µg/m³ of PM2.50.6 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted121stof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
- National standard
- 15 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- soil pollution from pesticide use
- southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine
- International agreements
- 15 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 87 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2016 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 2000 Kyoto Protocol in force 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol not a party Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) not a party Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1993 CITES in force 1995 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 2003 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2003 Nagoya Protocol in force 2014 Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 1991 World Heritage Convention not a party UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 2001 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 2000 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2024 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2004 Minamata Convention on Mercury signed 2014, not ratified Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 2006 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 in force 1994 Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 0.3% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 58 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 6,312 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 41% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 1.4 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 27%
- Water stress
- 5% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 3% of the population300,000 people
- Obesity2024
- 20.6% of adults
- Men
- 18.8%
- Women
- 21.7%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2005latest available
- 1.3% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment:Food security indicators (FAOSTAT) ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 115.9 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 0.16%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 23% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Balanced trade, imports 4 TWh and exports 4.6 TWh in 202446 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 46 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 42 TWh per year
- Imports
- 4 TWh per year
- Exports
- 4.6 TWh per year
- Net
- +0.6 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- Deficitproduces 24% of what it consumes, 2024Oil reserves2025198 million barrelsWorld Rank57thof 99
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal:Worldwide Oil and Gas Survey ↗ - Oil & Gas Journal
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 2.1% of GDP$1.5 billion, 50.7% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- approximately 50,000–60,000active-duty military personnel
- Military service2025
- Conscriptionages 18–27, 12–18 months depending on academic qualifications, or 24–36 months for alternative service
17-year-olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel.Conscripts can be assigned to the military, to the Ministry of Interior, or to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (alternative service)
Source:- The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service:The World Factbook: Belarus - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
