Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Montenegro instead of Serbia, you would:

Health

live 3.6 years longer

In Serbia, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022. In Montenegro, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 13.5% more money

Serbia has a GDP per capita of $24,500 as of 2023, while in Montenegro, the GDP per capita is $27,800 as of 2023.

pay a 40.0% lower top tax rate

Serbia has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2017. In Montenegro, the top tax rate is 9.0% as of 2016.

be 75.7% more likely to be unemployed

In Serbia, 8.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Montenegro, that number is 15.2% 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 Montenegro, 6.0 women do as of 2020.

be 32.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Serbia, approximately 4.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Montenegro, on the other hand, 3.2 children do as of 2022.

have 23.9% more children

In Serbia, there are approximately 8.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Montenegro, there are 10.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 31.0% more on healthcare

Serbia spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Montenegro, that number is 11.4% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Department of Public Revenues, Montenegro, Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia.

Montenegro: At a glance

Montenegro is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 13,452 sq km. The use of the name Crna Gora or Black Mountain (Montenegro) began in the 13th century in reference to a highland region in the Serbian province of Zeta. The later medieval state of Zeta maintained its existence until 1496 when Montenegro finally fell under Ottoman rule. Over subsequent centuries Montenegro managed to maintain a level of autonomy within the Ottoman Empire. From the 16th to 19th centuries, Montenegro was a theocracy ruled by a series of bishop princes; in 1852, it transformed into a secular principality. Montenegro was recognized as an independent sovereign principality at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. After World War I, during which Montenegro fought on the side of the Allies, Montenegro was absorbed by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929; at the conclusion of World War II, it became a constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. When the latter dissolved in 1992, Montenegro federated with Serbia, creating the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and, after 2003, shifting to a looser State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. In May 2006, Montenegro invoked its right under the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro to hold a referendum on independence from the state union. The vote for severing ties with Serbia barely exceeded 55% - the threshold set by the EU - allowing Montenegro to formally restore its independence on 3 June 2006.
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