Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas was 1.61 million people in 2020. ▼ Falling
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 1.61 million people for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina peaked at 2.23 million people in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1.61 million people, in 2020.
Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks 114th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.72 million people | — |
| 1955 | 1.81 million people | +5.4% |
| 1960 | 1.91 million people | +5.7% |
| 1965 | 1.99 million people | +3.8% |
| 1970 | 2.03 million people | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 2.07 million people | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 2.13 million people | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 2.19 million people | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 2.23 million people | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 1.93 million people | -13.6% |
| 2000 | 2.03 million people | +5.4% |
| 2005 | 1.96 million people | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 1.83 million people | -6.7% |
| 2015 | 1.68 million people | -8.2% |
| 2020 | 1.61 million people | -4.1% |
Bosnia and Herzegovina compared with similar countries
- Bosnia and Herzegovina's 1.61 million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.60 million people, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina's 1.61 million people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.06 million people, 78% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.76 million people | 1.72 million people | 1.81 million people | 2 |
| 1960s | 1.95 million people | 1.91 million people | 1.99 million people | 2 |
| 1970s | 2.05 million people | 2.03 million people | 2.07 million people | 2 |
| 1980s | 2.16 million people | 2.13 million people | 2.19 million people | 2 |
| 1990s | 2.08 million people | 1.93 million people | 2.23 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.99 million people | 1.96 million people | 2.03 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.75 million people | 1.68 million people | 1.83 million people | 2 |
| 2020s | 1.61 million people | 1.61 million people | 1.61 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 111 Tajikistan 1.68 million people compare
- 112 Turkmenistan 1.63 million people compare
- 113 Kyrgyzstan 1.63 million people compare
- 115 Dominican Republic 1.59 million people compare
- 116 Namibia 1.59 million people compare
- 117 El Salvador 1.49 million people compare
More population data for Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.93 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.9162 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 2,739 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.4708 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.843 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -1.0% (2100)
- Population density 26.69 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 49,993 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
- Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina was 1.61 million people in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
- The highest recorded value was 2.23 million people in 1990.
- What is the lowest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.61 million people in 2020.
- How does Bosnia and Herzegovina rank for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks 114th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bosnia and Herzegovina data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of people living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.