Serbia

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic groups
- Languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
  - Urban settlement
  - Rural settlement
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture and forestry
- Resources and power
  - Natural resources
  - Energy
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Tourism
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
  - Transportation
  - Telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Government
- Local government
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- The coming of the Serbs
- Medieval Serbia
  - The early Slav states
  - The Golden Age
  - Conquest by the Ottoman Turks
- Life in the Ottoman period
  - The disintegration of Ottoman rule
  - The nascent Serbian state
- Modern Serbia
  - The passing of the old order
  - Consolidation of the state
  - The scramble for the Balkans
  - The “Ten Years’ War”
  - The outbreak of World War I
  - The Corfu Declaration
  - Serbia in the Yugoslav kingdom
  - From parliamentary division to royal dictatorship
  - Economic recovery and the Great Depression
  - Serbia in World War II
  - The socialist federation
  - The “Yugoslav road to socialism”
  - Conflict in Kosovo
  - Economic growth and vulnerability
  - The rise of Slobodan Milošević
  - The disintegration of the federation
  - The “third Yugoslavia”
  - The Kosovo conflict
  - The federation of Serbia and Montenegro
  - Independent Serbia

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images

Sava River; Belgrade

Yugoslavia, 1919–92

Šumadija, Serbia

Serbia: Ethnic composition

Serbia: Religious affiliation

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Serbia: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Donald Trump's trio for the Balkans • Feb. 19, 2025, 8:15 AM ET (Deutsche Welle)

Serbia's protesting students and supporters of the president hold parallel rallies as tensions spike • Feb. 15, 2025, 2:19 PM ET (AP)

Kosovo's prime minister looks for allies for new Cabinet after failing to win parliamentary majority • Feb. 10, 2025, 2:58 PM ET (AP)

Serbian protesters block key bridge, roads to mark 100 days since deadly canopy collapse • Feb. 9, 2025, 10:00 PM ET (AP)

Kosovo's governing party wins parliamentary election but without majority, preliminary results show • Feb. 9, 2025, 6:04 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	Srbija
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Miloš Vučević
Capital	Belgrade
Population	(2024 est.) 6,615,000
Head Of State	President: Aleksandar Vučić
Form Of Government	republic with one legislative house (National Assembly [250])
Official Language	Serbian
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Republika Srbija¹ (Republic of Serbia)
Total Area (Sq Km)	77,589
Total Area (Sq Mi)	29,957
Monetary Unit	Serbian dinar (RSD)
Population Rank	(2023) 109
Population Projection 2030	6,586,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2024) 220.8
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2024) 85.3
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2022) 62% • Rural: (2022) 38%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2023) 73.9 years • Female: (2023) 78.7 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: not available • Female: not available
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 66,393
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 10,030
¹Excludes Kosovo, a disputed transitional republic that declared its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, unless otherwise indicated.

Photos

Sava River; Belgrade

Yugoslavia, 1919–92

Šumadija, Serbia

Subotica, Vojvodina, Serbia

Kazan Gorge, Danube River, Serbia

Cathedral of Saint Sava

National anthem of Serbia

See All Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

Novak Djokovic Vojislav Koštunica Zoran Živković Miloš Milan IV Michael III Obrenović dynasty Europe Balkans Dayton Accords United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

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Yugoslavia, 1919–92

Yugoslavia

former federated nation [1929–2003]

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