Bosnia and Herzegovina Demographics

Population of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina Population
3,114,242
see live
Yearly Change
−0.82%
Global Share
0.04%
Global Rank

Median Age

The median age in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 46.1 years (2026).

Fertility in Bosnia and Herzegovina

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.50
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Bosnia and Herzegovina

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
78.4
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
81.4
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
75.1
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Bosnia and Herzegovina


Infant Mortality
4.5
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
5.1
(per 1,000 live births)


Bosnia and Herzegovina Urban Population

Currently, 53.3% of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina is urban (1,659,049 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 61 people per km² (158 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 51,187 km² (19,763 sq. miles).

Largest Cities and Settlements in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The 30 largest of 37 cities and settlements, ranked by population at the census of October 1, 2013 (by Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska Institute of Statistics).

RankCity or SettlementPopulation
1Sarajevo348,363
2Banja Luka135,059
3Tuzla74,457
4Zenica70,553
5Mostar60,195
6Bijeljina41,121
7Brčko39,893
8Bihać39,690
9Prijedor27,970
10Doboj24,349
11Trebinje22,987
12Sanski Most16,913
13Živinice Grad16,157
14Bugojno15,555
15Travnik15,344
16Cazin13,863
17Gradiška13,691
18Gračanica12,882
19Gradačac12,764
20Pale12,569
21Lukavac12,061
22Goražde11,806
23Kakanj11,796
24Visoko11,205
25Zvornik11,082
26Derventa11,076
27Foča10,831
28Konjic10,732
29Vogošća10,568
30Janja10,542
See all 37 cities and settlements in Bosnia and Herzegovina

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.