Introduction
Background
The Ottoman Empire controlled Kosovo from 1389 to 1912, when it once again became part of Serbia and then part of Yugoslavia in 1945. In 1999, Belgrade's brutal counterinsurgency campaign against the Kosovo Albanians resulted in a NATO military operation that ended the conflict. Kosovo declared its independence in 2008 and formally applied for EU membership in 2022.
Geography
Area
total: 10,887 sq km
land: 10,887 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Climate
influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December
Natural resources
nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite
People and Society
Population
1,964,327 (2023 est.)
Ethnic groups
Albanians 92.9%, Bosniaks 1.6%, Serbs 1.5%, Turk 1.1%, Ashkali 0.9%, Egyptian 0.7%, Gorani 0.6%, Romani 0.5%, other/unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)
Languages
Albanian (official) 94.5%, Bosnian 1.7%, Serbian (official) 1.6%, Turkish 1.1%, other 0.9% (includes Romani), unspecified 0.1%; note - in municipalities where a community's mother tongue is not one of Kosovo's official languages, the language of that community may be given official status according to the 2006 Law on the Use of Languages
note: these estimates may under-represent Serb, Romani, and some other ethnic minority languages because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Romani communities in southern Kosovo (2011 est.)
Religions
Muslim 95.6%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, Orthodox 1.5%, other 0.1%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)
Population growth rate
0.62% (2023 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Pristina (Prishtine, Prishtina)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu (since 4 April 2021)
head of government: Prime Minister Albin KURTI (since 22 March 2021)
Legislative branch
description: unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi i Kosoves/Skupstina Kosova (120 seats; 100 members directly elected by open-list proportional representation vote with 20 seats reserved for ethnic minorities - 10 for Serbs and 10 for other ethnic minorities; members serve 4-year terms)
Economy
Economic overview
small-but-growing European economy; non-EU member but unilateral euro user; very high unemployment, especially youth; vulnerable reliance on diaspora tourism services, curtailed by COVID-19 disruptions; unclear public loan portfolio health
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$21.226 billion (2021 est.)
$19.166 billion (2020 est.)
$20.247 billion (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$11,900 (2021 est.)
$10,700 (2020 est.)
$11,300 (2019 est.)
Agricultural products
wheat, corn, berries, potatoes, peppers, fruit; dairy, livestock; fish
Industries
mineral mining, construction materials, base metals, leather, machinery, appliances, foodstuffs and beverages, textiles
Exports
$3.138 billion (2021 est.)
$1.687 billion (2020 est.)
$2.312 billion (2019 est.)
Exports - partners
United States 16%, Albania 15%, North Macedonia 12%, Germany 8%, Italy 8% (2021)
Exports - commodities
mattress materials, iron alloys, metal piping, scrap iron, building plastics, mineral water, seating (2021)
Imports
$6.128 billion (2021 est.)
$4.187 billion (2020 est.)
$4.454 billion (2019 est.)
Imports - partners
Germany 13%, Turkey 13%, China 10%, Serbia 7%, Italy 6% (2021)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, cars, iron rods, electricity, cigars, packaged medicines (2021)
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.877 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)
0.847 (2018 est.)
0.885 (2017 est.)
Page last updated: Tuesday, March 26, 2024