2013 Census Results Are Now Official

Almost two months after the publication of the official results of the census in Bosnia and Herzegovina and just under three years after it was conducted, today the census results became official, reports Patria News Agency.

Namely, the census results were published today in the Official Gazette of BiH, fulfilling the last condition for their official use and application.

According to these results, there are 3,531,159 inhabitants in BiH, which means there were 845,874 fewer inhabitants in the 2013 census. Bosniaks make up 50.11%, Serbs 30.78%, and Croats 15.43%.

52.86% of the population speaks Bosnian, 30.76% speaks Serbian, and 14.6% speaks Croatian. The Federation of BiH entity has 2,219,220 inhabitants (62.85%), the Republika Srpska entity has 1,228,423 inhabitants (34.79%), and the Brčko District has 83,516 inhabitants (2.37%). 50.7% of Muslims, 30.75% of Orthodox Christians, and 15.19% of Catholics live in BiH.

The average age of inhabitants in BiH is 39.5 years. Sarajevo is the most populous city with 275,524 inhabitants, while Banja Luka is the city with the most inhabitants and has 175,042 inhabitants. The illiteracy rate in BiH is 2.82%, while the number of highly educated individuals is the lowest in the region, amounting to 12.7%.

The census in Bosnia and Herzegovina was conducted from October 1 to 15, 2013. After a series of postponements and disputes regarding the publication of the census results in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and following the session of the Central Census Bureau of Bosnia and Herzegovina held on May 18, it was announced that the methodology for processing the census data had been adopted. The first preliminary results were published on November 5, 2013.

The Republika Srpska denies the census results and, as announced, will publish its own results separately. The institutions of RS, the Government and the National Assembly, have adopted the Draft Law on the Processing and Publication of the 2013 Census, Household, and Housing Results in that BiH entity, under an urgent procedure.

This law regulates the method of processing and publishing the results of the 2013 census, household, and housing for the territory of Republika Srpska. The census results are published by the Republika Srpska Institute of Statistics according to the Data Processing Program.

The Data Processing Program is adopted by the Institute after the Draft Program is previously reviewed and agreed upon by the Census Bureau of Republika Srpska. The Data Processing Program regulates the method of data processing and the content of processing tables. The Institute will adopt the Data Processing Program within 30 days of the entry into force of this law, according to the Government of RS.

- The census results will be published within six months of the entry into force of this law. The purpose of adopting this law is to publish reliable and methodologically correct data from the census conducted in 2013 for the territory of Republika Srpska - stated the Government of Republika Srpska.

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