Country Sheet : Belarus

Information file

Last Update on July 8th 2024

BELARUS

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In English - version of July 8th 2024

Geography

Area : 207,600 km²

Borders : 3,542 km: Russia (1,312 km), Ukraine (1,111 km), Poland (418 km), Lithuania (640 km), Latvia (161 km)

Capital : Minsk

Official language : Belarusian, Russian

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Population

Population : 9,453,881 (2023)

Crude natural change rate : -0.3‰ (2023 est.)

Crude net migration rate: 0.7‰ (2023 est.)

Life expectancy: men 69.2 years old, women 80.2 years old (2023 est.)

Religions: Eastern Orthodox 48.3%, Catholics 7.1%, Muslims 0.2%, others 3.3%, none 41.1%

Ethnic groups: Belarusian 83.7%, Russian 11.6%, Polish 3.1%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other 3.2%

Source : Eurostat

Economy

Currency: Belarusian Ruble (BYR) (exchange rate in July 2023 : 1€ = 2.75 BYR)

GDP: $ 71.86 billion (2023)

GDP per capita (PPS): $ 7,829 (2023)

GDP growth : 6.1% (June 2023)

Inflation: 3.5% (October 2023)

Public debt: 39.8% of GDP (2022)

Unemployment: 3.6% (2022)

Public deficit: -2.1% (2022 est.)

Stock of foreign direct investment from the entire world: $ -208.1 million (2023)

Source : Eurostat, Trading Economics, World Bank

Political system

Republic of Belarus; independent since 25th August 1991 (constitution of 15th March 1994 revised on November 24th 1996 and then on October 17th 2004), autocratic regime

Head of State Alexander Lukashenko since 20th July 1994; “re-elected” in 2001, 2006, 2010, 2015 and on 4th August 2020. Elected by direct universal suffrage in a vote that was contested by the opposition and international observers

Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, since 4th June 2020. Appointed by the President.

The Belarusian Parliament is bicameral and comprises The House of Representatives (Palata Predstavitelei) with 110 members elected by a majority vote for a term of four years. The Council of the Republic (Natsioalnoye sobranie) comprises 64 members, 56 of whom are elected by the local Soviets of Deputies of the six country’s regions and 8 are appointed by the President of the Republic.