Introduction
Background
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have any of the other former Soviet republics, and since 2022 Belarus has facilitated Russia's war in Ukraine, which was launched in part from Belarusian territory. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place and negotiations on further integration have been contentious. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first and only directly elected president, Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on political and civil freedoms, freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion have remained in place. Restrictions on political freedoms have grown increasingly strained following the disputed presidential election in August 2020. The election results sparked largescale protests as members of the opposition and civil society criticized the election’s validity. Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA has remained in power as the disputed winner of the presidential election after quelling protests in late 2020.
Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.
Geography
Location
Eastern Europe, east of Poland
Geographic coordinates
53 00 N, 28 00 E
Map references
Europe
Area - comparative
slightly less than twice the size of Kentucky; slightly smaller than Kansas
Land boundaries
total: 3,599 km
border countries (5): Latvia 161 km; Lithuania 640 km; Poland 375 km; Russia 1,312 km; Ukraine 1,111 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
Terrain
generally flat with much marshland
Elevation
highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m
lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m
mean elevation: 160 m
Natural resources
timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay
Land use
agricultural land: 43.7% (2018 est.)
arable land: 27.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 15.9% (2018 est.)
forest: 42.7% (2018 est.)
other: 13.6% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
303 sq km (2020)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Dnyapro (Dnieper) (shared with Russia [s] and Ukraine [m]) - 2,287 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Dnieper (533,966 sq km)
Population distribution
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
Natural hazards
large tracts of marshy land
Geography - note
landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Belarusian(s)
adjective: Belarusian
Ethnic groups
Belarusian 83.7%, Russian 8.3%, Polish 3.1%, Ukrainian 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.9% (2009 est.)
Languages
Russian (official) 71.4%, Belarusian (official) 26%, other 0.3% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 2.3% (2009 est.)
major-language sample(s):
Книга фактов о мире – незаменимый источник базовой информации. (Russian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Orthodox 48.3%, Catholic 7.1%, other 3.5%, non-believers 41.1% (2011 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 15.83% (male 764,281/female 721,632)
15-64 years: 66.81% (male 3,055,606/female 3,213,751)
65 years and over: 17.36% (2023 est.) (male 544,270/female 1,084,313)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 50.8
youth dependency ratio: 25.4
elderly dependency ratio: 25.4
potential support ratio: 3.9 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 41.7 years (2023 est.)
male: 39.1 years
female: 44.6 years
comparison ranking: total 47
Population distribution
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
Urbanization
urban population: 80.7% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
2.057 million MINSK (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female
total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
26.8 years (2019 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 1.8 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 220
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 74.6 years (2023 est.)
male: 69.6 years
female: 79.9 years
comparison ranking: total population 136
Gross reproduction rate
0.7 (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
52.6% (2019)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 99.6% of population
total: 99.9% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0.4% of population
total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
6.4% of GDP (2020)
Physicians density
4.54 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
Hospital bed density
10.8 beds/1,000 population (2014)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 99.9% of population
rural: 98.3% of population
total: 99.5% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.1% of population
rural: 1.7% of population
total: 0.5% of population (2020 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 10.57 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 2.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 4.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 2.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total 18
Tobacco use
total: 30.5% (2020 est.)
male: 47.4% (2020 est.)
female: 13.5% (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 30
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
66.6% (2023 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 15: 0.1%
women married by age 18: 4.7%
men married by age 18: 1.6% (2019 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.9%
male: 99.9%
female: 99.9% (2019)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 15 years (2021)
Environment
Environment - current issues
soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine
Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate
cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
Land use
agricultural land: 43.7% (2018 est.)
arable land: 27.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 15.9% (2018 est.)
forest: 42.7% (2018 est.)
other: 13.6% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 80.7% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 15.48 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 58.28 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 17.19 megatons (2020 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 4.28 million tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 684,800 tons (2016 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 16% (2016 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Dnyapro (Dnieper) (shared with Russia [s] and Ukraine [m]) - 2,287 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Dnieper (533,966 sq km)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 550 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 410 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 370 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
57.9 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Belarus
conventional short form: Belarus
local long form: Respublika Byelarus' (Belarusian)/ Respublika Belarus' (Russian)
local short form: Byelarus' (Belarusian)/ Belarus' (Russian)
former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic
etymology: the name is a compound of the Belarusian words "bel" (white) and "Rus" (the Old East Slavic ethnic designation) to form the meaning White Rusian or White Ruthenian
Government type
presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
Capital
name: Minsk
geographic coordinates: 53 54 N, 27 34 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the origin of the name is disputed; Minsk may originally have been located 16 km to the southwest, on the banks of Menka River; remnants of a 10th-century settlement on the banks of the Menka have been found
Administrative divisions
6 regions (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel' (Gomel'), Horad Minsk* (Minsk City), Hrodna (Grodno), Mahilyow (Mogilev), Minsk, Vitsyebsk (Vitebsk)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers; Russian spelling provided for reference when different from Belarusian
Independence
25 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday
Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union
Constitution
history: several previous; latest drafted between late 1991 and early 1994, signed 15 March 1994
amendments: proposed by the president of the republic through petition to the National Assembly or by petition of least 150,000 eligible voters; approval required by at least two-thirds majority vote in both chambers or by simple majority of votes cast in a referendum; amended 1996, 2004
Legal system
civil law system; note - nearly all major codes (civil, civil procedure, criminal, criminal procedure, family, and labor) were revised and came into force in 1999 and 2000
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Belarus
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (since 20 July 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Roman GOLOVCHENKO (since 4 June 2020); First Deputy Prime Minister Mikalay SNAPKOW (since 4 June 2020); Deputy Prime Ministers Ihar PETRYSHENKA (since 18 August 2018), Anatol SIVAK (since 1 September 2020), Leanid ZAYATS (since 21 March 2022), Petr PARKHOMCHYK (since 16 August 2022)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); first election held on 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999; however, Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held on 9 September 2001; an October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and allowed the President LUKASHENKA to run and win a third term (19 March 2006); a fourth term (19 December 2010); a fifth term (11 October 2015); a sixth term (9 August 2020); next election to be held in 2025; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly
election results:
2020: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA reelected president (); percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 80.1%, Svyatlana TSIKHANOWSKAYA (independent) 10.1%, other 9.8%; note - widespread street protests erupted following announcement of the election results amid allegations of voter fraud
2015: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA president (); percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 84.1%, Tatsyana KARATKEVICH 4.4%, Sergey GAYDUKEVICH 3.3%, other 8.2%.
Legislative branch
description: bicameral National Assembly or Natsyyalny Skhod consists of:
Council of the Republic or Savet Respubliki (64 seats statutory, current 60; 56 members indirectly elected by regional and Minsk city councils and 8 members appointed by the president; members serve 4-year terms)
House of Representatives or Palata Pradstawnikow (110 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 4-year terms)
elections: Council of the Republic - indirect election last held on 7 November 2019
House of Representatives - last held on 17 November 2019 (next to be held on 25 February 2024); OSCE observers determined that the election was neither free nor impartial and that vote counting was problematic in a number of polling stations; pro-LUKASHENKA candidates won every seat; international observers determined that the previous elections - on 28 September 2008, 23 September 2012, and 11 September 2016 - also fell short of democratic standards, with pro-LUKASHENKA candidates winning every, or virtually every seat
election results:
Council of the Republic - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - as of August 2023 - men 45, women 15, percent of women 25%
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KPB 11, Republican Party of Labor and Justice 6, BPP 2, LDP 1, BAP 1, independent 89; composition as of August 2023 - men 66, women 44, percent of women 40%; note - total National Assembly percent of women 34.7%
note: the US does not recognize the legitimacy of the National Assembly
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chairman and deputy chairman and organized into several specialized panels, including economic and military; number of judges set by the president of the republic and the court chairman); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 judges, including a chairman and deputy chairman)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the consent of the Council of the Republic; judges initially appointed for 5 years and evaluated for life appointment; Constitutional Court judges - 6 appointed by the president and 6 elected by the Council of the Republic; the presiding judge directly elected by the president and approved by the Council of the Republic; judges can serve for 11 years with an age limit of 70
subordinate courts: oblast courts; Minsk City Court; town courts; Minsk city and oblast economic courts
Political parties and leaders
pro-government parties:
Belarusian Agrarian Party or BAP [Mikhail RUSY]
Belarusian Patriotic Party or BPP [Mikalay ULAKHOVICH]
Belarusian Social Sport Party or BSSP [Uladzimir ALEKSANDROVICH]
Belaya Rus [Henadz DAVYDKA]
Communist Party of Belarus or KPB [Alyaksey SOKOL]
Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Aleh GAYDUKEVICH]
Republican Party [Uladzimir BELAZOR]
Republican Party of Labor and Justice [Alyaksandr STSYAPANAW]
Social Democratic Party of Popular Accord [Syarhey YERMAK]
opposition parties:
Belarusian Christian Democracy Party [Paval SEVYARYNETS, Volha KAVALKOVA, Vital RYMASHEWSKI] (unregistered)
Belarusian Party of the Green [Dzimtry KUCHUK]
Belarusian Party of the Left "Just World" [Syarhey KALYAKIN]
Belarusian Social-Democratic Assembly of BSDH [Syarhey CHERACHEN]
Belarusian Social Democratic Party ("Assembly") or BSDPH [Ihar BARYSAW]
Belarusian Social Democratic Party (People's Assembly) or BSDP [Mikalay STATKEVICH] (unregistered)
BPF Party [Ryhor KASTUSYOW]
Christian Conservative Party-BPF [Zyanon PAZNYAK]
United Civic Party or UCP [Mikalay KAZLOW]
International organization participation
BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CEI, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAEU, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant; recalled by Belarus in 2008); Chargé d'Affaires Pavel SHIDLOWSKI (since 9 August 2022)
chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 986-1606
FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805
email address and website:
usa@mfa.gov.by
https://usa.mfa.gov.by/en/
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Peter KAUFMAN (since June 2023)
embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya Street, Minsk 220002
mailing address: 7010 Minsk Place, Washington DC 20521-7010
telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83/217-73-47/217-73-48
FAX: [375] (17) 334-78-53
email address and website:
ConsularMinsk@state.gov
https://by.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears Belarusian national ornamentation in red; the red band color recalls past struggles from oppression, the green band represents hope and the many forests of the country
National symbol(s)
no clearly defined current national symbol, the mounted knight known as Pahonia (the Chaser) is the traditional Belarusian symbol; national colors: green, red, white
National anthem
name: "My, Bielarusy" (We Belarusians)
lyrics/music: Mikhas KLIMKOVICH and Uladzimir KARYZNA/Nester SAKALOUSKI
note: music adopted 1955, lyrics adopted 2002; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Belarus kept the music of its Soviet-era anthem but adopted new lyrics; also known as "Dziarzauny himn Respubliki Bielarus" (State Anthem of the Republic of Belarus)
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 4 (3 cultural, 1 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Białowieża Forest (n); Mir Castle Complex (c); Architectural, Residential, and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh (c)
Economy
Economic overview
declining Russian energy subsidies will end in 2024; growing public debt; strong currency pressures have led to higher inflation; recent price controls on basic food and drugs; public sector wage increases and fragile private sector threaten household income gains and economic growth
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$184.482 billion (2021 est.)
$180.335 billion (2020 est.)
$181.605 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 70
Real GDP per capita
$19,800 (2021 est.)
$19,200 (2020 est.)
$19,300 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 91
GDP (official exchange rate)
$63.168 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
9.46% (2021 est.)
5.55% (2020 est.)
5.6% (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 27
Credit ratings
Fitch rating: B (2018)
Moody's rating: B3 (2018)
Standard & Poors rating: B (2017)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 8.1% (2017 est.)
industry: 40.8% (2017 est.)
services: 51.1% (2017 est.)
comparison rankings: services 175; industry 27; agriculture 100
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 54.8% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 14.6% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 24.9% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 5.7% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 67% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -67% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
milk, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, triticale, barley, maize, rye, rapeseed, poultry
Industries
metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances
Unemployment rate
4.74% (2021 est.)
4.77% (2020 est.)
4.16% (2019 est.)
note: official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers
comparison ranking: 160
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 11.3% (2021 est.)
male: 14%
female: 8.4%
comparison ranking: total 143
Population below poverty line
5% (2019 est.)
Average household expenditures
on food: 32.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 7.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.8%
highest 10%: 21.9% (2008)
Budget
revenues: $24.743 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $24.239 billion (2019 est.)
Public debt
33.24% of GDP (2019 est.)
37.1% of GDP (2018 est.)
39.88% of GDP (2017 est.)
comparison ranking: 161
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
$2.153 billion (2021 est.)
-$178.4 million (2020 est.)
-$1.246 billion (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 42
Exports
$49.425 billion (2021 est.)
$37.183 billion (2020 est.)
$41.975 billion (2019 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
comparison ranking: 64
Exports - partners
Russia 42%, Ukraine 13%, United Kingdom 7% (2019)
Exports - commodities
fertilizers, refined petroleum, cheese, delivery trucks, lumber (2021)
Imports
$45.459 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$35.236 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$42.378 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
comparison ranking: 67
Imports - partners
Russia 57%, China 7%, Poland 5%, Germany 5%, Ukraine 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, natural gas, cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$8.425 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$7.468 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$9.394 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 89
Exchange rates
Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
2.539 (2021 est.)
2.44 (2020 est.)
2.092 (2019 est.)
2.038 (2018 est.)
1.932 (2017 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 11.36 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 32,665,500,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 4.777 billion kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 4.277 billion kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 2.711 billion kWh (2019 est.)
comparison rankings: imports 44; exports 37; installed generating capacity 60; transmission/distribution losses 72; consumption 60
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 95.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 1.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Nuclear energy
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 2 (2023)
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 0
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 2.22GW (2023)
Percent of total electricity production: 14.1% (2021)
Percent of total energy produced: 40.8% (2021)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 0
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 621,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 1.574 million metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 2.117 million metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 34,300 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 134,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 32,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 383,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 198 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 68.951 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
consumption: 18,639,590,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 18,673,429,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
proven reserves: 2.832 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
54.695 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 1.623 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 16.856 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 36.217 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 56
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 4,332,754 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 45 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 32
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 11,760,087 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 123 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 84
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: the Government of Belarus has successfully promoted the migration to an all-IP platform as part of a wider effort towards a digital transformation for the economy; the state-supported infrastructure operator beCloud has built an extensive fiber network, which reaches all but the smallest settlements in the country; Belarus has the second-highest fiber subscription rate in Europe, behind only Iceland; LTE coverage is almost universal, while considerable progress has also been made in developing 5G services (2021)
domestic: fixed-line teledensity is improving although rural areas continue to be underserved, approximately 45 per 100 fixed-line; mobile-cellular teledensity now roughly 123 telephones per 100 persons (2021)
international: country code - 375; Belarus is landlocked and therefore a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); 3 fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations; almost 31,000 base stations in service in 2019 (2020)
Broadcast media
7 state-controlled national TV channels; Polish and Russian TV broadcasts are available in some areas; state-run Belarusian Radio operates 5 national networks and an external service; Russian and Polish radio broadcasts are available (2019)
Internet users
total: 8.352 million (2021 est.)
percent of population: 87% (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total 70
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 3,255,552 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 44
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 30
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,760,168 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1.9 million (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
33
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
32
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Heliports
1 (2021)
Pipelines
5,386 km gas, 1,589 km oil, 1,730 km refined products (2013)
Railways
total: 5,528 km (2014)
standard gauge: 25 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
broad gauge: 5,503 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)
comparison ranking: total 34
Waterways
2,500 km (2011) (major rivers are the west-flowing Western Dvina and Neman Rivers and the south-flowing Dnepr River and its tributaries, the Berezina, Sozh, and Pripyat Rivers)
comparison ranking: 37
Ports and terminals
river port(s): Mazyr (Prypyats')
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Belarus Armed Forces: Army, Air and Air Defense Force, Special Operations Force, Special Troops (electronic warfare, signals, engineers, biological/chemical/nuclear protection troops, etc)
Ministry of Interior: State Border Troops, Militia, Internal Troops (2023)
note: in early 2023, President LUKASHENKO ordered the formation of a new volunteer paramilitary territorial defense force to supplement the Army
Military expenditures
1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.5% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $2.11 billion)
1.5% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $2.05 billion)
comparison ranking: 120
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 45-50,000 active-duty troops; information on the individual services varies, but reportedly includes about 25-30,000 Army, 15,000 Air/Air Defense, and 5,000 Special Operations forces (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the military's inventory is comprised mostly of Russian/Soviet-origin equipment, and in recent years Russia has continued to be the leading provider of arms; Belarus's defense industry manufactures some equipment (mostly modernized Soviet designs), including vehicles, guided weapons, and electronic warfare systems (2023)
Military service age and obligation
18-27 years of age for compulsory military or alternative service; conscript service obligation is 12-18 months, depending on academic qualifications, and 24-36 months for alternative service, also depending on academic qualifications; 17-year-olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel (2023)
note: conscripts can be assigned to the military, to the Ministry of Interior as internal or border troops, or to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (alternative service); as of 2020, conscripts comprised an estimated 40% of the military
Military - note
the military of Belarus is responsible for territorial defense; it is a mixed force of conscripts and professionals that is equipped with Russian or Soviet-era weapons; the Army’s principal combat forces are divided into two geographically based commands, each with two mechanized brigades and an artillery brigade; there are also separate artillery and surface-to-surface missile brigades; the Special Operations Forces have three airborne, air assault, and special forces (spetsnaz) brigades, which serve as the military’s high-readiness units; the Air and Air Defense inventory includes about 100 combat aircraft and attack helicopters, as well as air defense brigades and regiments with surface-to-air missiles
Russia is the country’s closest security partner, a relationship that includes an integrated air and missile defense system and joint military training centers and exercises; Russia leases from Belarus a strategic ballistic missile defense site operated by Russian Aerospace Forces and a global communications facility for the Russian Navy; in 2020, the countries signed an agreement allowing for close security cooperation between the Belarusian Ministry of Interior and the Russian National Guard, including protecting public order and key government facilities and combating extremism and terrorism; in 2022, Belarus allowed Russian military forces to stage on its territory for their invasion of Ukraine and continues to supply arms and other aid to the Russian military, including logistical support, supply lines, medical care, and airfields for Russian combat aircraft; in 2023, Belarus agreed to permit Russia to deploy nuclear weapons on its soil
Belarus has been a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 1994 and has committed an airborne brigade to CSTO's rapid reaction force; the military trains regularly with other CSTO members (2023)
Space
Space agency/agencies
Belarus Space Agency (aka National Agency for Space Research; established 2009) (2023)
Space program overview
has a modest national space program focused on developing remote sensing (RS) satellites; jointly builds satellites with foreign partners; develops some space technologies and components for space equipment, including satellite payloads and associated technology, such as optics and imaging equipment; has cooperated with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine; has a state-owned satellite company (2023)
note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
Belarus-Latvia: boundary demarcated with Latvia
Belarus-Lithuania: boundary demarcated with Lithuania.
Belarus-Poland: as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland has implemented strict Schengen border rules to restrict illegal immigration and trade along its border with Belarus.
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 32,435 (Ukraine) (as of 1 August 2023)
stateless persons: 5,626 (2022)
Trafficking in persons
tier rating: Tier 3 — Belarus does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore Belarus was downgraded to Tier 3; nonetheless, the government took some steps to address trafficking, including conducting investigations and prosecutions and identifying and referring victims to services; however, the government did not report investigating, prosecuting, or convicting traffickers under its trafficking statute nor provide adequate protection to victims; officials reportedly returned many migrants and asylum seekers to their countries of origin without comprehensively screening them for trafficking; the government did not report conducting awareness activities, and its efforts to prevent labor trafficking remained inadequate; for the 5th consecutive year, Belarus did not report investigating or filing charges related to illegal recruitment of migrant workers (2022)
trafficking profile: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims and exploit Belarusians abroad; the majority of trafficking victims are men subjected to forced labor, primarily in Russia; most Belarusian victims are trafficked in Belarus and Russia, but also in Poland, Turkey, and other European, Eurasian and Middle Eastern countries; some Belarusian women traveling for foreign employment in the adult entertainment and hotel industries are subjected to sex trafficking; most traffickers are Belarusian citizens, and traffickers increasingly use online methods to coerce victims into forced labor and sex trafficking (2022)
Illicit drugs
limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; a small and lightly regulated financial center; anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards and was weakened further when know-your-customer requirements were curtailed in 2008; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities