Bosnia and Herzegovina: Central government debt, total (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina's central government debt, total (current LCU) rose 6.2% on 2023 (from 20.12 billion to 21.36 billion).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2012 to 2023), the average change was +4.6% and a typical year strayed about 5.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 16.6% in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.7% in 2017. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 793.79 million a year. A straight line explains 84% of the movement over 9 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina had the 27th highest value of the 29 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2024 ranking

• Papua New Guinea — 23rd of 29: 61.72 billion
• El Salvador — 24th of 29: 37.42 billion
• Georgia — 25th of 29: 37.3 billion
• Bahamas, The — 27th of 29: 11.31 billion
• Solomon Islands — 28th of 29: 3.49 billion
• San Marino — 29th of 29: 1.77 billion

What this measures

Debt is the entire stock of direct government fixed-term contractual obligations to others outstanding on a particular date. It includes domestic and foreign liabilities such as currency and money deposits, securities other than shares, and loans. It is the gross amount of government liabilities reduced by the amount of equity and financial derivatives held by the government. Because debt is a stock rather than a flow, it is measured as of a given date, usually the last day of the fiscal year. Central government is the part of general government that includes all administrative departments of the national executive, legislative, and judicial functions, other central agencies and those non-market producers controlled by the central government, whose competence extends normally over the whole economic territory. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 13 values

Central government debt, total (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Albania — 1.26 trillion (2024)
• Belarus — 44.79 billion (2019)
• Georgia — 37.3 billion (2024)
• Hungary — 66.82 trillion (2024)
• Iceland — 3.5 trillion (2023)
• Kazakhstan — 24.95 trillion (2023)
• Kyrgyz Republic — 612.83 billion (2024)
• Moldova — 121.39 billion (2024)
• Russian Federation — 36.11 trillion (2024)
• San Marino — 1.77 billion (2024)

More public sector data for Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Armed forces personnel, total — 11,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.81% (2020)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 231.4 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 401.19 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 0.73% (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 1.56% (2025)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 1.22 (2023)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score (scale 0-100) — 70 (2024)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Bosnia and Herzegovina's central government debt, total (current LCU)?

21.36 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2011?

It is up 77.68% from 12.02 billion in 2011 (4.52% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 21.36 billion in 2024 and the lowest 12.02 billion in 2011.

How does Bosnia and Herzegovina rank?

27th highest of 29 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in central government debt, total (current LCU) unusual for Bosnia and Herzegovina?

In 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina's central government debt, total (current LCU) rose 6.2% on 2023 (from 20.12 billion to 21.36 billion). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2012 to 2023), the average change was +4.6% and a typical year strayed about 5.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.DOD.TOTL.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.