Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina instead of Serbia, you would:

Health

live 3.8 years longer

In Serbia, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 16.7% less likely to be obese

In Serbia, 21.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 20.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Serbia, 21.2% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, however, that number is 16.9% as of 2015.

pay a 33.3% lower top tax rate

Serbia has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2017. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the top tax rate is 10.0% as of 2016.

make 18.8% less money

Serbia has a GDP per capita of $24,500 as of 2023, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the GDP per capita is $19,900 as of 2023.

be 20.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Serbia, 8.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 10.4% as of 2023.

Life

be 40.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Serbia, approximately 10.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 6.0 women do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 12.6% more on healthcare

Serbia spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 9.8% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: At a glance

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 51,187 sq km. Bosnia and Herzegovina declared sovereignty in October 1991 and independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that ended three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a multi-ethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government composed of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Bosnian Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments are responsible for overseeing most government functions. Additionally, the Dayton Accords established the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) at its conference in Bonn in 1997 also gave the High Representative the authority to impose legislation and remove officials, the so-called "Bonn Powers." An original NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops assembled in 1995 was succeeded over time by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. Currently EUFOR deploys around 600 troops in theater in a policing capacity.
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How big is Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Serbia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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