Population growth in Serbia
Serbia: Population growth was -0.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Serbia, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, population growth in Serbia stood at -0.6%.
The figure is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Serbia peaked at 2.2% in 1980 and was at its lowest, -3.9%, in 1991.
Serbia ranks 203rd of 218 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth in Serbia, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.8% | — |
| 1962 | 0.8% | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 0.7% | -7.5% |
| 1964 | 0.7% | -6.5% |
| 1965 | 0.6% | -3.2% |
| 1966 | 0.7% | +16.5% |
| 1967 | 0.6% | -25.4% |
| 1968 | 0.6% | +5.9% |
| 1969 | 1.6% | +178.5% |
| 1970 | 0.6% | -64.3% |
| 1971 | 0.6% | +11.2% |
| 1972 | 0.6% | -14.3% |
| 1973 | 0.4% | -21.3% |
| 1974 | 0.6% | +31.5% |
| 1975 | 0.6% | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 0.7% | +17.0% |
| 1977 | 0.6% | -13.4% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | -6.4% |
| 1979 | 0.5% | -8.4% |
| 1980 | 2.2% | +335.2% |
| 1981 | 0.4% | -83.9% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | -7.0% |
| 1984 | 0.3% | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 0.3% | -12.4% |
| 1986 | 0.2% | -20.0% |
| 1987 | 0.2% | -20.9% |
| 1988 | 0.2% | +13.8% |
| 1989 | 0.1% | -41.0% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | -56.7% |
| 1991 | -3.9% | -7525.5% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | -102.8% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | +21.7% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | -18.4% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | -33.8% |
| 1996 | -0.1% | -209.5% |
| 1997 | -0.3% | +289.8% |
| 1998 | -0.4% | +30.7% |
| 1999 | -0.4% | -10.9% |
| 2000 | -0.3% | -11.7% |
| 2001 | -0.2% | -46.2% |
| 2002 | -0.0% | -73.6% |
| 2003 | -0.3% | +472.3% |
| 2004 | -0.2% | -10.1% |
| 2005 | -0.3% | +28.8% |
| 2006 | -0.4% | +30.9% |
| 2007 | -0.4% | +3.1% |
| 2008 | -0.4% | +5.0% |
| 2009 | -0.4% | -5.8% |
| 2010 | -0.4% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | -0.8% | +88.1% |
| 2012 | -0.5% | -35.8% |
| 2013 | -0.5% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | -0.5% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -0.5% | +5.2% |
| 2016 | -0.5% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | -0.5% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | -0.5% | +2.7% |
| 2019 | -0.5% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | -0.7% | +24.1% |
| 2021 | -0.9% | +41.7% |
| 2022 | -2.5% | +166.7% |
| 2023 | -0.6% | -75.3% |
| 2024 | -0.6% | -10.5% |
| 2025 | -0.6% | +2.3% |
Serbia compared with similar countries
- Serbia's -0.6% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5%. (59 countries reporting)
- Serbia's -0.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.3%. (57 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in Serbia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -7525.5% | 0.1% | -3.9% |
| 2003 | -472.3% | -0.0% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | +335.2% | 0.5% | 2.2% |
| 1997 | -289.8% | -0.1% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | -209.5% | 0.1% | -0.1% |
| 1969 | +178.5% | 0.6% | 1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 1.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.1% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.5% | -3.9% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.3% | -0.4% | -0.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.5% | -0.8% | -0.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.0% | -2.5% | -0.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Serbia
- 200 Belarus -0.5% compare
- 201 Puerto Rico -0.6% compare
- 202 United States Virgin Islands -0.6% compare
- 204 Kuwait -0.7% compare
- 205 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -0.7% compare
- 206 Sri Lanka -0.7% compare
More climate change data for Serbia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 405.98 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,818 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,261 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 4,557 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 4.76 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 162.74 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,874 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,767 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 107.27 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 10.44 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Serbia?
- Population growth in Serbia was -0.6% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Serbia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 1980.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Serbia?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.9% in 1991.
- How does Serbia rank for population growth?
- Serbia ranks 203rd out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Serbia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Serbia data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.