Bosnia & Herzegovina

https://www.humantruth.info/bosnia_and_herzegovina.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Bosnia & Herzegovina
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	61st best
Capital	Sarajevo
Land Area	51 000km²₁
Location	Europe, The Balkans, The Mediterranean
Population	3.3m₂
Life Expectancy	75.30yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$15 242 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	BA, BIH, 70₅
Internet Domain	.ba₆
Currency	Marka (BAM)₇
Telephone	+387₈

1. Overview

“Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991 was followed by a declaration of 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 brought to a halt 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.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“This craggily beautiful land retains scars from the 1990s civil war, but today visitors will remember Bosnia and Hercegovina for its spontaneous welcome and its intriguing cultural melange. The Bosnians described their country as a `heart-shaped land´ and looking at a map reveals that such a description is not too wide of the mark geographically. Over centuries this rugged domain at the centre of the Balkans has been the scene of intense commingling of peoples, traditions and cultures, a fact belied by the factional strife of the 1990s. Political tensions still linger after those fratricidal wars, but Bosnians of all stripes look to a brighter and better future. Major drawcards for travellers are the reincarnated antique centres of Sarajevo and Mostar, where rebuilt historical buildings counterpoint fashionable bars and cafes. Elsewhere Socialist-era architectural monstrosities are surprisingly rare blots on predominantly rural landscapes. Many Bosnian towns are lovably small, wrapped around medieval castles and surrounded by mountain ridges or cascading river canyons. Few places in Europe offer better rafting or such accessible, inexpensive skiing.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Bosnia & Herzegovina National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
71	Antigua & Barbuda	0.788
72	Seychelles	0.785
73	Sri Lanka	0.782
74	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.780
75	St Kitts & Nevis	0.777
76	Iran	0.774
77	Ukraine	0.773
78	Macedonia	0.770
	Europe Avg	0.87
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
76	Macedonia	$15 918
77	Maldives	$15 448
78	Libya	$15 336
79	Bosnia & Herzegovina	$15 242
80	Moldova	$14 875
81	Georgia	$14 664
82	Colombia	$14 384
83	Brazil	$14 370
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	28.1
2	Norway	31.2
3	Switzerland	32.9
	...
58	Jamaica	77.6
59	Trinidad & Tobago	77.9
60	Tunisia	77.9
61	Bosnia & Herzegovina	78.3
62	Andorra	78.4
63	Ukraine	78.4
64	Dominica	79.0
65	Northern Cyprus	79.1
	Europe Avg	55.7
	World Avg	88.7
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Bosnia & Herzegovina's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Bosnia & Herzegovina's population is predicted to rise to 3.473 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.35. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
131	Georgia	4.0m
132	Eritrea	3.5m
133	Uruguay	3.4m
134	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.3m
135	Mongolia	3.2m
136	Armenia	3.0m
137	Jamaica	2.9m
138	Albania	2.9m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
56	Turkey	76.0
57	Uruguay	75.4
58	Argentina	75.4
59	Bosnia & Herzegovina	75.3
60	Lebanon	75.0
61	Grenada	74.9
62	Slovakia	74.9
63	Malaysia	74.9
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
110	Turkmenistan	2.62
111	Bahamas	1.38
112	Albania	1.38
113	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.35
114	Jamaica	1.34
115	Micronesia	2.67
116	Canada	1.33
117	Marshall Islands	2.67
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
163	Sweden	37.0
164=	Bulgaria	37.0
165	Denmark	37.1
166	Bosnia & Herzegovina	37.3
167	S. Korea	37.6
168	Estonia	37.9
169	Belgium	38.1
170	Switzerland	38.3
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
151	Ethiopia	1.2%
152	Sao Tome & Principe	1.1%
153	Congo, DR	1.1%
154	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.1%
155	Guinea	1.0%
156	Iraq	1.0%
157	Mexico	0.9%
158	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.9%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
10	Albania	45.4%
11	Barbados	41.0%
12	Suriname	39.0%
13	Bosnia & Herzegovina	38.9%
14	Palau	38.8%
15	St Vincent & Grenadines	37.7%
16	Cape Verde	37.6%
17	Jamaica	36.1%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#Bosnia_&_Herzegovina #bosnia_&_herzegovina_human_rights #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
74	Seychelles	73.8
75	Hong Kong	74.5
76	Marshall Islands	75.0
77	Bosnia & Herzegovina	76.0
78	Georgia	76.4
79	Tuvalu	76.7
	Europe Avg	47.37
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Bosnia & Herzegovina does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Bosnia & Herzegovina comes in the best 20 in terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₉. It does better than average for opposing gender inequality₂₀ (but high for Europe), LGBT equality₂₁ (but low for Europe), its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₂, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₃ (but bad for Europe), eliminating modern slavery₂₄ and in supporting press freedom₂₅ (but bad for Europe). But, things still need to improve in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Bosnia & Herzegovina does worse than average in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₆ (amongst the lowest in Europe), freethought₂₇ and in its average Freedom in the World rating. Things aren't perfect, and the country made little progress by 2017₂₈ on issues raised by the ECtHR in 2009, with constitutional discrimination continuing against Jews, Roma and other minorities₂₈. There is too much intimidation of journalists₂₈ and LGBT folk face hate speech, harassment and some needless inequalities₂₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Bosnia & Herzegovina

5. Bosnia & Herzegovina's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #bosnia_&_herzegovina #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Europe (2025)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
32	Estonia	77.1
33	Albania	79.0
34	Hungary	79.5
35	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.5
36	Serbia	82.2
37	Lithuania	82.2
38	Belarus	82.3
39	Bulgaria	83.5
40	Armenia	85.7
	Europe Avg	86.87
q=48.

Health (2025)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
63	Hungary	79.5
64	Tunisia	80.2
65	Grenada	81.0
66	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.5
67	Uruguay	81.6
68	Serbia	82.2
69	Lithuania	82.2
70	Belarus	82.3
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₁.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Bosnia & Herzegovina has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Bosnia & Herzegovina does better than average for its adolescent birth rate₃₂, childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₃ and in its average life expectancy₁₁ (but low for Europe). When it comes to most other metrics, Bosnia & Herzegovina does not do well. It does worse than average in terms of its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄, its alcohol consumption rate₃₅ (still low for Europe), its fertility rate₁₄, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₆ (still low for Europe) and in its immunizations take-up₃₇. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its smoking rate₃₈. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Bosnia and Herzegovina improved by +4.9yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Bosnia and Herzegovina's peak fertility rate was 3.91 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
56	Turkey	76.0
57	Uruguay	75.4
58	Argentina	75.4
59	Bosnia & Herzegovina	75.3
60	Lebanon	75.0
61	Grenada	74.9
62	Slovakia	74.9
63	Malaysia	74.9
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₅
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
94	Kyrgyzstan	6.2
95=	Guyana	6.3
95=	Peru	6.3
97	Bosnia & Herzegovina	6.4
98=	Angola	6.4
99	Mexico	6.5
100	Philippines	6.6
101	Cambodia	6.7
	Europe Avg	10.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
110	Turkmenistan	2.62
111	Bahamas	1.38
112	Albania	1.38
113	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.35
114	Jamaica	1.34
115	Micronesia	2.67
116	Canada	1.33
117	Marshall Islands	2.67
	Europe Avg	1.53
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		Total %₃₈
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
151	France	34.6%
152=	Jordan	35.6%
152=	Cyprus	35.6%
154	Bosnia & Herzegovina	36.2%
155	Andorra	36.2%
156	Solomon Islands	36.9%
157	Croatia	37.0%
158	Indonesia	38.2%
	Europe Avg	27.0%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
92	Tunisia	92
93	Bahrain	93
94	Philippines	94
95	Bosnia & Herzegovina	95
96	Namibia	96
97	Guyana	97
98	Colombia	98
99	Vietnam	99
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		1976 %₃₆
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
113=	Azerbaijan	32.2
113=	Nicaragua	32.2
115	Belize	32.4
116	Bosnia & Herzegovina	32.6
117	Colombia	32.7
118	Tunisia	32.8
119	Cyprus	33.0
120	Moldova	33.4
	Europe Avg	38.2
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		2022 %₃₉
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
103	Cyprus	25.1%
104	Guatemala	25.2%
105	Iran	25.3%
106	Bosnia & Herzegovina	25.5%
107	Moldova	25.6%
108	Serbia	26.1%
109	Belarus	26.6%
110	Albania	26.6%
	Europe Avg	25.9%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₂
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
40	Malaysia	9.1
41	Poland	9.2
42	Czechia	9.4
43	Bosnia & Herzegovina	9.4
44	France	9.4
45	Brunei	9.5
46	Oman	9.7
47	Lithuania	9.7
	Europe Avg	11.4
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₇
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₇
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
130	Kiribati	88.4
131	Netherlands	88.1
132	Paraguay	88.1
133	Bosnia & Herzegovina	88.0
134	Sierra Leone	87.7
135	Suriname	87.2
136	Ecuador	86.8
137	Cambodia	86.5
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃₃
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
41	Slovakia	6.31
42	Serbia	6.52
43	Malta	6.58
44	Bosnia & Herzegovina	6.75
45	USA	6.83
46	Turks & Caicos Islands	6.89
47	UAE	7.69
48	Bahrain	7.92
	Europe Avg	6.30
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

6. Bosnia & Herzegovina's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Europe (2025)₄₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₀
1	Switzerland	45.0
2	Denmark	50.4
3	Liechtenstein	56.8
	...
39=	Estonia	97.0
40	Montenegro	97.3
41	Azerbaijan	101.2
42	Bosnia & Herzegovina	103.5
43	Serbia	104.8
44	Armenia	108.2
45	Belarus	116.0
46	San Marino	134.9
47	Andorra	136.3
	Europe Avg	86.45
q=48.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₀
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
156	Iraq	102.8
157	Antigua & Barbuda	103.2
158	Seychelles	103.4
159	Bosnia & Herzegovina	103.5
160	St Lucia	103.6
161	USA	103.8
162	Lebanon	103.9
163	Papua New Guinea	104.5
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₁. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

" Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Bosnia & Herzegovina is positioned 159th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is computed from 21 data sets. Bosnia & Herzegovina does better than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₂, its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₃ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₄. Bosnia & Herzegovina still has work to do. Bosnia & Herzegovina does worse than average when it comes to energy to GDP efficiency₄₅, its environmental performance₄₆ (the worst in Europe) and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₃
Pos.		Total₄₃
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
55	Bhutan	4.5%
56	Morocco	4.2%
57	Lebanon	3.8%
58	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.6%
59	Djibouti	3.6%
60	Tajikistan	3.4%
61	Belgium	3.3%
62	Croatia	2.9%
	Europe Avg	8.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2018₄₆
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
155	Sierra Leone	42.5
156	Gambia	42.4
157	Congo, (Brazzaville)	42.4
158	Bosnia & Herzegovina	41.8
159	Togo	41.8
160	Liberia	41.6
161	Cameroon	40.8
162	Swaziland	40.3
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₅
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₅
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
124	Malaysia	1.53
125	Vietnam	1.55
126	Estonia	1.56
127	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.60
128	Kazakhstan	1.63
129	Bulgaria	1.63
130	Seychelles	1.63
131	Belarus	1.64
	Europe Avg	1.25
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
164	Micronesia	46%
165	Cape Verde	46%
166	Guinea-Bissau	46%
167	Bosnia & Herzegovina	45%
168	Laos	44%
169	Myanmar	44%
170	N. Korea	44%
171	Sierra Leone	43%
	Europe Avg	62.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		2011 %₄₂
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
51	Slovenia	45.1%
52	Spain	44.8%
53	Tanzania	44.2%
54	Bosnia & Herzegovina	44.0%
55	Congo, (Brazzaville)	44.0%
56	Yemen	43.2%
57	Sri Lanka	43.1%
58	Djibouti	42.8%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₄
Pos.		2021 kg₄₄
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
81	El Salvador	43.9
82	Fiji	44.4
83	Congo, (Brazzaville)	46.0
84	Bosnia & Herzegovina	46.8
85	Chad	47.1
86	Oman	48.0
87	Ukraine	48.5
88	Cuba	49.6
	Europe Avg	71.1
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Bosnia & Herzegovina's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2020)₄₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₇
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
35	Turkey	55.9
36	Serbia	57.1
37	Montenegro	64.9
38	Bosnia & Herzegovina	65.6
39	Georgia	65.6
40	Moldova	68.9
41	Albania	76.4
42	Macedonia	77.2
43	Armenia	77.9
	Europe Avg	39.81
q=45.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₇
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
60	UAE	64.3
61	Mexico	64.5
62	Montenegro	64.9
63	Bosnia & Herzegovina	65.6
64	Georgia	65.6
65	Bahrain	66.2
66	Peru	68.2
67	Moldova	68.9
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₈. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₈. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₉.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₅₀

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₈.

For more, see:

"Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₁
2	Israel	4.11₅₁
3	Japan	3.58₅₁
	...
74=	Ghana	0.38₅₂
75	Moldova	0.35₅₃
76	Ecuador	0.34₅₄
77	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.33₅₃
78	Iran	0.31₅₂
79=	Nepal	0.30₅₂
79=	Kuwait	0.30₅₃
81	Pakistan	0.29₅₃
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2018₅₅
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
54	Jordan	84.0%
55	France	83.5%
56	Sri Lanka	82.8%
57	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.2%
58	Malaysia	80.8%
59	Cyprus	80.3%
60	Singapore	79.6%
61	Italy	79.6%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₆
Pos.		2021 Years₅₆
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
86	Brunei	14.0
87	Seychelles	13.9
88	Bulgaria	13.9
89	Bosnia & Herzegovina	13.8
90	Egypt	13.8
91	Indonesia	13.7
92	Swaziland	13.7
93	S. Africa	13.6
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
13	Latvia	13
14	Bulgaria	14
15	Iceland	15
16	Bosnia & Herzegovina	16
17	Sweden	17
18	Lithuania	18
19	Macedonia	19
20	Australia	20
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity Lower is better₅₇
Pos.		2018 %₅₇
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
49	Georgia	51
50=	Armenia	53
50=	USA	53
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
53=	Greece	56
53=	Paraguay	56
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better₅₈
Pos.		2016₅₈
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
73	Albania	63%
74	Palestine	63%
75	Montenegro	62%
76	Bosnia & Herzegovina	62%
77	Azerbaijan	61%
78	Belarus	61%
79	St Vincent & Grenadines	60%
80	St Lucia	59%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₅₉
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₉
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
37	Poland	3.6
38	Thailand	3.3
39	Denmark	3.1
40	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.1
41	Sri Lanka	2.9
42	Latvia	2.2
43	Israel	1.8
44	Italy	1.7
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better₆₀
Pos.		2024₆₀
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
83	Bangladesh	40.3%
84	Kyrgyzstan	39.5%
85	Jamaica	38.9%
86	Bosnia & Herzegovina	38.8%
87	Trinidad & Tobago	38.1%
88	Ghana	37.9%
89	Kenya	37.4%
90	Sri Lanka	36.3%
	Europe Avg	61.0%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Bosnia & Herzegovina's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Europe (2020)₆₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₆₁
1	Denmark	12.2
2	Netherlands	14.0
3	Norway	14.1
	...
31=	Albania	61.3
32	Bulgaria	61.3
33	Serbia	62.4
34	Bosnia & Herzegovina	63.9
35	Greece	64.8
36	Kosovo	66.2
37	Belarus	72.6
38	Montenegro	72.6
39	Ukraine	74.3
	Europe Avg	48.48
q=44.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)₆₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₆₁
1	Denmark	12.2
2	Netherlands	14.0
3	Norway	14.1
	...
55	Israel	61.6
56	Oman	61.8
57	Serbia	62.4
58	Bosnia & Herzegovina	63.9
59	Greece	64.8
60	Jamaica	65.5
61	Kosovo	66.2
62	Kuwait	66.3
	World Avg	76.86
q=178.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 28 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty in the 2020s (so far), Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better₆₂
Pos.		2022 %₆₂
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
37=	Austria	45.0
38	Sri Lanka	44.0
39=	Ethiopia	44.0
39=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	44.0
39=	Paraguay	44.0
39=	Dominican Rep.	44.0
39=	Kyrgyzstan	44.0
39=	Mexico	44.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better₆₃
Pos.		2022 Points₆₃
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
111	Sierra Leone	34.0
112=	Malawi	34.0
112=	Indonesia	34.0
112=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	34.0
112=	Nepal	34.0
116	Ukraine	33.0
117=	Mongolia	33.0
117=	El Salvador	33.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better₆₄
Pos.		2024 Score₆₄
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
53	Uzbekistan	6.2
54	Paraguay	6.2
55	Japan	6.1
56	Bosnia & Herzegovina	6.1
57	Philippines	6.1
58	S. Korea	6.0
59	Bahrain	6.0
60	Portugal	6.0
	Europe Avg	6.37
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
66	Lebanon	66
67	USA	67
68	Guyana	68
69	Bosnia & Herzegovina	69
70	Tonga	70
71	Trinidad & Tobago	71
72	Botswana	72
73	Dominica	73
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
42	Malta	42
43	Morocco	43
44	Fiji	44
45	Bosnia & Herzegovina	45
46	Poland	46
47	Japan	47
48	Armenia	48
49	UAE	49
	Europe Avg	42.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better₆₅
Pos.		2023 Score₆₅
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
58	Chile	1.87
59	Gambia	1.89
60	Greece	1.89
61	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.89
62	Jordan	1.90
63	Zambia	1.90
64	Cyprus	1.90
65	Serbia	1.92
	Europe Avg	1.70
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
146	Croatia	146
147	UAE	147
148	Central African Rep.	148
149	Bosnia & Herzegovina	149
150	Seychelles	150
151	Sierra Leone	151
152	Afghanistan	152
153	Lebanon	153
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
32	Bulgaria	32
33	S. Korea	33
34	Mauritius	34
35	Bosnia & Herzegovina	35
36	Romania	36
37	Uruguay	37
38	Liberia	38
39	Turkey	39
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₆₆
Pos.		2019 Score₆₆
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
60	Guatemala	1.33
61	Georgia	1.34
62	Papua New Guinea	1.36
63	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.39
64	Kyrgyzstan	1.47
65	Ghana	1.56
66	Kazakhstan	1.57
67	Austria	1.66
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₆₇
Pos.		2019₆₇
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
38	Slovakia	5.00
39	Cuba	5.10
40	UAE	5.20
41=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	5.40
41=	Latvia	5.40
43	Lithuania	5.50
44=	Bahrain	5.50
45	Qatar	5.70
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₆₈
Pos.		2023 %₆₈
1	Slovakia	24.1%₆₉
2	Slovenia	24.3%₆₉
3	Belarus	24.4%₇₀
	...
58=	Niger	32.9%₆₉
58=	Japan	32.9%₇₁
58=	S. Korea	32.9%₆₉
61	Bosnia & Herzegovina	33.0%₇₂
62	Serbia	33.1%₆₉
63=	Guinea-Bissau	33.4%₆₉
63=	Bangladesh	33.4%₇₃
65	Macedonia	33.5%₇₄
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Bosnia and Herzegovina - only for 4 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₇₅
Pos.		2018 Severity₇₅
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
16	Libya	.007
17	Algeria	.008
18	Kyrgyzstan	.008
19	Bosnia & Herzegovina	.008
20	Barbados	.009
21	Macedonia	.010
22	Guyana	.014
23	Dominican Rep.	.015
	Europe Avg	.004
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)₅₇
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₇
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
49	Georgia	51
50=	Armenia	53
50=	USA	53
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
53=	Greece	56
53=	Paraguay	56
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
59=	Bolivia	71
59=	Botswana	71
61	Brazil	72
62=	Egypt	72
63	Algeria	73
64=	Peru	73
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₇₆:

	2010	2020
Muslim	51.3%	53.6%
Christian	46.5%	44.7%
Unaffiliated	1.11%	1.05%
Other	1.15%	0.61%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	None	None

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 99% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 54% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14%₇₇.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems