Where Bosnians move
1.6M Bosnians live abroad — #51 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Considering a move from Bosnia and Herzegovina? — See top destinations, regional flows, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 60% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Croatia | 363041 |
| Germany | 320423 |
| Serbia | 277641 |
| Austria | 180515 |
| Slovenia | 138576 |
| Sweden | 60819 |
| Switzerland | 58221 |
| Canada | 36008 |
| Montenegro | 31869 |
| Italy | 29671 |
| Australia | 29317 |
| Netherlands | 28178 |
| Denmark | 16175 |
| Norway | 15507 |
| North Macedonia | 8781 |
| Luxembourg | 3156 |
| Czechia | 2793 |
| South Africa | 1445 |
| Poland | 1381 |
| Finland | 955 |
| Malta | 859 |
| Hungary | 517 |
| Slovakia | 503 |
| Greece | 474 |
| Iceland | 412 |
| Libya | 371 |
| Liechtenstein | 320 |
| Bulgaria | 226 |
| Cyprus | 69 |
| Portugal | 52 |
| Venezuela | 21 |
| Bolivia | 11 |
| Latvia | 8 |
| Dominican Republic | 5 |
| Estonia | 2 |
| Lithuania | 2 |
| Guinea | 0 |
By destination region
Europe is the leading destination region at 96%
1.5M
36K
29.3K
1.8K
69
37
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A significant share of the population lives abroad
1 in 2 residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina has emigrated — 1.6M out of 3.2M, representing 50.8% of the population.
Germany is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Germany has increased by 71% since 2015, rising from 187.2K to 320.4K in 9 years.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 38% to 23%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
3 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Denmark, Norway, Czechia — Denmark rose from outside the top 20 to rank #13.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1108999 |
| 1995 | 1705561 |
| 2000 | 1624537 |
| 2005 | 1494812 |
| 2010 | 1481062 |
| 2015 | 1477261 |
| 2020 | 1542552 |
| 2024 | 1608324 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Croatia | Germany | Serbia | Austria | Slovenia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 312821 | 32000 | 416017 | 97482 | 68549 |
| 1995 | 506365 | 314000 | 488060 | 116832 | 68327 |
| 2000 | 430399 | 155037 | 574192 | 138319 | 77361 |
| 2005 | 416359 | 157972 | 434881 | 130147 | 79262 |
| 2010 | 402318 | 162323 | 360622 | 149818 | 102915 |
| 2015 | 404874 | 187192 | 324368 | 160538 | 100880 |
| 2020 | 381100 | 252498 | 300294 | 171472 | 122235 |
| 2024 | 363041 | 320423 | 277641 | 180515 | 138576 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Bosnia and Herzegovina as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Bosnia and Herzegovina