While many municipalities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are facing a decline in the number of inhabitants, certain areas still record a positive natural increase and a larger share of the young population.
Data from the Federal Bureau of Statistics for the year 2025 obtained by the Radiosarajevo.ba portal show large differences in demographic trends among cities and municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While certain areas record the continuation of negative trends, there are also municipalities that stand out due to a higher number of births, a younger population and a more stable demographic picture.
According to available data, no divorces were recorded in seven cities during 2025. These are Neum, Bosanski Grahovo, Bosanski Petrovac, Drvar, Kupres, Ravno and Dobretovići. Although these are smaller communities, the data show the specifics of their demographic trends compared to larger environments.
The largest number of divorces was recorded according to the spouses’ last common residence in Banja Luka, where 213 divorces were recorded, followed by Bijeljina (96), Prijedor (78), Zvornik (37) and Teslić (34).
The divorce rate in RS is still below the European average. According to the latest available Eurostat data, the divorce rate in the EU-27 countries for 2024 was 1.6 divorces per 1,000 inhabitants, while in the RS in 2025 it was 0.8 divorces per 1,000 inhabitants.
During the last year, 856 marriages were divorced
Data from the Statistical Office of the RS sent to the Radiosarajevo.ba portal show that for every 1,000 marriages in the RS, approximately 174 were divorced last year. During the last year, a total of 856 marriages were divorced.
When it comes to natural increase, i.e. the ratio of the number of births and deaths, positive results were achieved in 2025 by 11 cities and municipalities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The largest positive natural increase was recorded in the area of Ilidža, where the number of births exceeded the number of deaths by 151 inhabitants. The City of Široki Brijeg follows with a positive increase of 110, Ilijaš with 82, Posušje with 54 and Tešanj with 48.
Bužim (42), Vogošća (36), Hadžići (24), Grude (13), Doboj-Jug (11) and Kakanj (6) also had positive natural growth.
These data show that, despite the general trend of population aging and population decline in many parts of the country, there are local communities that continue to have more favorable demographic trends.
Where is the youngest population in BiH?
Particularly interesting are the data on the share of children and young residents. If the participation of the population up to 18 years of age in the total population is observed, the youngest population in BiH is located in the municipality of Doboj-Jug, where children and youth make up 21.6 percent of the total population.
Right behind are Tešanj with 21.4 percent, and Vogošća and Ilijaš with 21.3 percent of the young population each. Kakanj, Široki Brijeg, Velika Kladuša and Bužim also have a larger proportion of children and young people.
For comparison, the average participation of children and young people up to 18 years of age in the total population in FBiH in 2025 was 17.3 percent.
According to the latest available data for 2024, life expectancy at birth in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was 79.56 years. For men, the average was 77.44 years, while for women it was 81.61 years.
Demographic indicators for the year 2025 thus show that there are areas in BiH that manage to retain a younger population and achieve positive natural growth, while at the same time many other municipalities are facing the challenges of an aging population and the departure of young people, writes Radio Sarajevo.
