How Many Inhabitants Does Bosnia and Herzegovina Have? A Question Without a Clear Answer
How many people live in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a question to which there is still no precise answer. The last population census was conducted in 2013, and although a new one was expected two years ago, it has yet to take place. There is currently no indication of when it might be held.
While most countries conduct a population census every ten years, Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to wait. According to the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there has been interest in organizing a new census, but no formal initiative has been launched.
Lejla Aganović from the Agency for Statistics of BiH explains that organizing a census requires political and institutional agreement at both the state and entity levels, secured financial resources, and a harmonized legislative and methodological framework. “Without clear political will and a joint decision, the census cannot begin,” she said.
The only post-war census in BiH, carried out in 2013, cost around 45 million convertible marks and showed that approximately 3.5 million people lived in the country at that time. Demographers warn that a new census would reveal an alarming demographic picture.
Experts estimate that the results could be devastating. Last year alone, the number of births fell by 1.36 percent compared to the previous year, while the number of deaths increased by nearly 3.5 percent.
Demographer Stevo Pašalić points out that migration poses an even greater problem than negative natural population growth. “Our migration losses are ten times greater than those caused by natural decrease. Young, educated people and those in their reproductive years are leaving, taking future births with them,” he warned.
Citizens also believe that census results would be worrying. Sociologist Drago Vuković stresses that a regular and depoliticized census is a key indicator of a normalized state. “One of the first signs of normalization in a country like BiH is that the population census is free of political manipulation and conducted every ten years, as in other countries,” he said.
Since the census is currently neither a political topic nor a priority, authorities often refer to the “next census cycle,” which brings new procedures. According to Aganović, European recommendations point to the year 2031 as the next census cycle, with a greater reliance on administrative records, which would shorten deadlines and reduce costs compared to the traditional census model.
Meanwhile, neighboring countries have already completed or planned their censuses: Croatia conducted its census in 2021, while Serbia did so in 2022.
