Kosovo
Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →
Kosovo⌘K
Overview
- Background
- The Ottoman Empire took control of Kosovo in 1389 after defeating Serbian forces. Large numbers of Turks and Albanians moved to the region, and by the end of the 19th century, Albanians had replaced Serbs as the majority ethnic group in Kosovo. Serbia reacquired control of Kosovo during the First Balkan War of 1912, and after World War II, Kosovo became an autonomous province of Serbia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). Increasing Albanian nationalism in the 1980s led to riots and calls for Kosovo's independence, but in 1989, Belgrade -- which has in turn served as the capital of Serbia and Yugoslavia -- revoked Kosovo's autonomous status. When the SFRY broke up in 1991, Kosovo Albanian leaders organized an independence referendum, and Belgrade's repressive response led to an insurgency. Kosovo remained part of Serbia, which joined with Montenegro to declare a new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) in 1992.
In 1998, Belgrade launched a brutal counterinsurgency campaign, with some 800,000 ethnic Albanians expelled from their homes in Kosovo. After international mediation failed, a NATO military operation began in March 1999 and forced Belgrade to withdraw its forces from Kosovo. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) placed Kosovo under the temporary control of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Negotiations in 2006-07 ended without agreement between Serbia and Kosovo, though the UN issued a comprehensive report that endorsed independence. On 17 February 2008, the Kosovo Assembly declared Kosovo independent.
Serbia continues to reject Kosovo's independence, but the two countries began EU-facilitated discussions in 2013 to normalize relations, which resulted in several agreements. Additional agreements were reached in 2015 and 2023, but implementation remains incomplete. In 2022, Kosovo formally applied for membership in the EU, which is contingent on fulfillment of accession criteria, and the Council of Europe. Kosovo is also seeking UN and NATO memberships.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 10,887 sq km
- Water
- 0 sq km
- Total
- 10,887 sq km
- Climate
- influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December
- Terrain
- flat fluvial basin at an elevation of 400-700 m above sea level surrounded by several high mountain ranges with elevations of 2,000 to 2,500 m
Land Use
- Other
- 5.5% (2018 est.)
- Forest
- 41.7% (2018 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 52.8% (2018 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 27.4% (2018 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 1.9% (2018 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 23.5% (2018 est.)
- Location
- Southeastern Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Drini i Bardhe/Beli Drim (located on the border with Albania) 297 m
- Highest point
- Gjeravica/Deravica 2,656 m
- Mean elevation
- 450 m
- Irrigated land
- NA
- Map references
- Europe
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 714 km
- Border countries
- Albania 112 km; North Macedonia 160 km; Montenegro 76 km; Serbia 366 km
- Maritime claims
- none (landlocked)
- Geography note
- the 41-km (25-mi) Nerodimka River divides into two branches, each of which flows into a different sea: the northern branch flows into the Sitnica River, which via the Ibar, Morava, and Danube Rivers ultimately flows into the Black Sea; the southern branch flows via the Lepenac and Vardar Rivers into the Aegean Sea
- Natural resources
- nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite
- Area comparative
- slightly larger than Delaware
- Geographic coordinates
- 42 35 N, 21 00 E
- Population distribution
- population clusters exist throughout the country, with the largest in the east in and around the capital of Pristina
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Atlantic ocean drainage
- (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
People & Society
Languages
- Note
- note: these estimates may under-represent Serb, Romani, and other ethnic minority languages because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Romani communities in southern Kosovo
- Languages
- Albanian (official) 94.5%, Bosnian 1.7%, Serbian (official) 1.6%, Turkish 1.1%, other 0.9% (includes Romani), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)
- Major language sample(s)
- Libri i fakteve boterore, burimi i pazevendesueshem per informacione elementare (Albanian)
Knjiga svetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Serbian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
- Religions
- Muslim 95.6%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, Orthodox 1.5%, other 0.1%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.08 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.08 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.1 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1.06 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.78 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 14.16 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 6.88 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 31.7 years
- Total
- 32.3 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 32.4 years
Population
- Male
- 1,017,992
- Total
- 1,977,093 (2024 est.)
- Female
- 959,101
Nationality
- Note
- note: Kosovo, a neutral term, is sometimes also used as a noun or adjective as in Kosovo Albanian, Kosovo Serb, Kosovo minority, or Kosovo citizen
- Noun
- Kosovan
- Adjective
- Kosovan
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 22.7% (male 233,010/female 216,304)
- 15 64 years
- 68.9% (male 712,403/female 649,932)
- 65 years and over
- 8.4% (2024 est.) (male 72,579/female 92,865)
- Ethnic groups
- Albanians 92.9%, Bosniaks 1.6%, Serbs 1.5%, Turk 1.1%, Ashkali 0.9%, Egyptian 0.7%, Gorani 0.6%, Romani 0.5%, other/unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 45.1 (2024 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 33 (2024 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 8.2 (2024 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 12.1 (2024 est.)
- Physician density
- 0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2015)
- Net migration rate
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.85 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 24.2 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 21 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 21.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.73% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.89 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- population clusters exist throughout the country, with the largest in the east in and around the capital of Pristina
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 71 years
- Female
- 75.5 years
- Total population
- 73.1 years (2024 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 218,782 PRISTINA (capital) (2020)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 61.6% (2020 est.)
Government
- Flag
- description: a dark blue field with a gold-colored silhouette of Kosovo in the center, with six five-pointed white stars in a slight arc over it
meaning: each star represents one of the major ethnic groups of Kosovo: Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Gorani, Roma, and Bosniaks
Capital
- Name
- Pristina (Prishtine, Prishtina)
- Etymology
- the town takes its name from the river; the origin of the river's name is unclear but could come from a pre-Slavic language
- Time difference
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
- +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
- Geographic coordinates
- 42 40 N, 21 10 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Kosovo
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 5 years
Constitution
- History
- previous 1974, 1990; latest (post-independence) draft finalized 2 April 2008, signed 7 April 2008, ratified 9 April 2008, entered into force 15 June 2008
- Amendment process
- proposed by the government, by the president of the republic, or by one fourth of Assembly deputies; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, including two-thirds majority vote of deputies representing non-majority communities, followed by a favorable Constitutional Court assessment
Country Name
- Etymology
- name may derive from the Serbian word kos, meaning "blackbird," or from a personal name
- Local long form
- Republika e Kosoves (Albanian)/ Republika Kosovo (Serbian)
- Local short form
- Kosove (Albanian)/ Kosovo (Serbian)
- Conventional long form
- Republic of Kosovo
- Conventional short form
- Kosovo
- Independence
- 17 February 2008 (from Serbia)
- Legal system
- civil law system
- Government type
- parliamentary republic
Judicial Branch
- Note
- note: in 2015, the Kosovo Assembly approved a constitutional amendment that established the Kosovo Relocated Specialist Judicial Institution, also referred to as the Kosovo Specialist Chambers or "Special Court"; the court, located at the Hague in the Netherlands, began operating in 2016 and has jurisdiction to try crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other crimes under Kosovo law that occurred in the 1998-2000 period
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 18 judges and organized into Appeals Panel of the Kosovo Property Agency and Special Chamber); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 7 judges)
- Subordinate courts
- Court of Appeals (organized into 4 departments: General, Serious Crime, Commercial Matters, and Administrative Matters); Basic Court (located in 7 municipalities, each with several branches)
- Judge selection and term of office
- Supreme Court judges nominated by the Kosovo Judicial Council, a 13-member independent body staffed by judges and lay members, and also responsible for overall administration of Kosovo's judicial system; judges appointed by the president of the Republic of Kosovo; judges appointed until mandatory retirement age; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the Kosovo Assembly and appointed by the president of the republic to serve single, 9-year terms
Executive Branch
- Note
- note: Prime Minister Albin KURTI resigned on 15 April 2025; a replacement has not yet been selected
- Cabinet
- Cabinet elected by the Assembly
- Chief of state
- President Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu (since 4 April 2021)
- Election results
2021: Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu elected president in third ballot; Assembly vote - Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu (Guxo!) 71 votes; Albin KURTI (LVV) elected prime minister; Assembly vote - 67 for, 30 against
2017: Ramush HARADINAJ (AAK) elected prime minister; Assembly vote - 61 for, 1 abstention, 0 against (opposition boycott)
2016: Hashim THACI elected president in third ballot; Assembly vote - Hashim THACI (PDK) 71 votes- Head of government
- Acting Prime Minister Albin KURTI (since 15 April 2025)
- Most recent election date
- 3-4 April 2021
- Election/appointment process
- president indirectly elected for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; if a candidate does not reach this threshold in the first two ballots, the candidate winning a simple majority vote in the third ballot is elected; prime minister indirectly elected by the Assembly
- Expected date of next election
- 2026
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 17 February (2008)
- National color(s)
- blue, gold, white
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 1 (cultural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Medieval Monuments in Kosovo
- Political parties
- Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK
Ashkali Party for Integration or PAI
Civic Initiative for Freedom, Justice, and Survival
Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK
Democratic Party of Kosovo or PDK
New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo or IRDK
New Democratic Party or NDS
Progressive Movement of Kosovar Roma or LPRK
Romani Initiative
Self-Determination Movement (Lëvizja Vetevendosje or Vetevendosie) or LVV or VV
Serb List or SL
Social Democratic Union or SDU
Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo or KDTP
Unique Gorani Party or JGP
Vakat Coalition or VAKAT
Legislative Branch
- Note
- note: 20 seats reserved for ethnic minorities -- 10 for Serbs and 10 for other minorities
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 120 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Legislature name
- Assembly (Kuvendi i Kosoves/Skupstina Kosova)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 2/14/2021
- Expected date of next election
- 2025
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 34%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Self-Determination Movement (LVV) (58), Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) (19), Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) (15), Serb List (10), Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) (8), other (10)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Europe"
- History
- adopted 2008; Kosovo chose not to include lyrics in its anthem to avoid offending the country's minority ethnic groups
- Lyrics/music
- no lyrics/Mendi MENGJIQI
- National symbol(s)
- six five-pointed white stars
- National coat of arms
- uses the national colors of blue, gold, and white, and is featured on the country’s flag; the golden map symbolizes a rich and peaceful Kosovo, with a blue background that represents the country’s aspirations for Euro-Atlantic integration; the six white stars stand for the major ethnic groups in Kosovo: Albanians, Serbs, Bosniaks, Turks, Roma (including Ashkali and Egyptians), and Gorani
- Administrative divisions
- 38 municipalities (komunat, singular - komuna (Albanian); opstine, singular - opstina (Serbian)); Decan (Decani), Dragash (Dragas), Ferizaj (Urosevac), Fushe Kosove (Kosovo Polje), Gjakove (Dakovica), Gjilan (Gnjilane), Gllogovc (Glogovac), Gracanice (Gracanica), Hani i Elezit (Deneral Jankovic), Istog (Istok), Junik, Kacanik, Kamenice (Kamenica), Kline (Klina), Kllokot (Klokot), Leposaviq (Leposavic), Lipjan (Lipljan), Malisheve (Malisevo), Mamushe (Mamusa), Mitrovice e Jugut (Juzna Mitrovica) [South Mitrovica], Mitrovice e Veriut (Severna Mitrovica) [North Mitrovica], Novoberde (Novo Brdo), Obiliq (Obilic), Partesh (Partes), Peje (Pec), Podujeve (Podujevo), Prishtine (Pristina), Prizren, Rahovec (Orahovac), Ranillug (Ranilug), Shterpce (Strpce), Shtime (Stimlje), Skenderaj (Srbica), Suhareke (Suva Reka), Viti (Vitina), Vushtrri (Vucitrn), Zubin Potok, Zvecan
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 735-0609
- Chancery
- 3612 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20007
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 450-2130
- Consulate(s)
- Des Moines (IA)
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Ilir DUGOLLI (since 13 January 2022)
- Consulate(s) general
- New York
- Email address and website
embassy.usa@rks-gov.net
U.S. Embassies of the Republic of Kosovo (ambasadat.net)
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [383] 38-604-890
- Embassy
- Arberia/Dragodan, Rr. 4 KORRIKU Nr. 25, Pristina
- Telephone
- [383] 38-59-59-3000
- Mailing address
- 9520 Pristina Place, Washington DC 20521-9520
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Anu PRATTIPATI (since January 2025)
- Email address and website
PristinaACS@state.gov
https://xk.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- FIFA, IBRD, IDA, IFC, IMF, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OIF (observer)
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Economy
Budget
- Revenues
- $1.951 billion (2020 est.)
- Expenditures
- $2.547 billion (2020 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $4.7B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2021
- $3.138 billion (2021 est.)
- Exports 2022
- $3.579 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $4.156 billion (2023 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $8.1B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2021
- $6.128 billion (2021 est.)
- Imports 2022
- $6.661 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $7.362 billion (2023 est.)
- Industries
- mineral mining, construction materials, base metals, leather, machinery, appliances, foodstuffs and beverages, textiles
- Labor force
- 500,300 (2017 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 19.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Public debt 2016
- 19.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 18% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 17.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 17.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Note
- note: Kosovo, which is neither an EU member state nor a party to a formal EU monetary agreement, uses the euro as its de facto currency
- Currency
- euros (EUR) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 0.877 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 0.845 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 0.951 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 0.925 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 0.924 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $785.739 million (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- small-but-growing European economy; non-EU member but unilateral euro user; very high unemployment, especially youth; vulnerable reliance on diaspora tourism services, curtailed by COVID-19 disruptions; unclear public loan portfolio health
- Exports partners
- United States 16%, Albania 15%, North Macedonia 12%, Germany 8%, Italy 8% (2021)
- Imports partners
- Germany 13%, Turkey 13%, China 10%, Serbia 7%, Italy 6% (2021)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $17,864
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $13,000 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $14,200 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $16,400 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.6%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 4.3% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 4.1% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 4.4% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- wheat, corn, berries, potatoes, peppers, fruit; dairy, livestock; fish
- Exports commodities
- mattress materials, iron alloys, metal piping, scrap iron, building plastics (2021)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, cars, iron rods, electricity, cigars, packaged medicines (2021)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$932.5M
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2021
- -$818.351 million (2021 est.)
- Current account balance 2022
- -$983.283 million (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$785.09 million (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $11.149 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 84.3% (2024 est.)
- Government consumption
- 12.3% (2024 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 0% (2024 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 33.8% (2024 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 41.9% (2024 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -72.3% (2024 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 17.6% (2015 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.6%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 11.6% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 4.9% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 1.6% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 4% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $25.019 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $23.025 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $23.962 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $25.019 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $1.248 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $1.245 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $1.31 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 26.2% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 45.7% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 6.9% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 0.4% (2021 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 32.9% (2021 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2021
- 49.4 (2021 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 13,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 20,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 6.924 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 6.931 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 1.564 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 16,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 2.442 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 3.449 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 6.571 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 1.555 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 789.167 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 52.085 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 6.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 87.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 6.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 89% (2018 est.)
- Internet country code
- .xk
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 383,763 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 7 (2022 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 593,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 35 (2022 est.)
Transport
- Airports
- 2 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 437 km (2020)
- Heliports
- 11 (2025)
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- Z6
Environment
- Climate
- influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December
Land Use
- Other
- 5.5% (2018 est.)
- Forest
- 41.7% (2018 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 52.8% (2018 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 27.4% (2018 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 1.9% (2018 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 23.5% (2018 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 319,000 tons (2024 est.)
- Environmental issues
- air pollution from power plants and lignite mines; water scarcity and pollution; land degradation
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 7.444 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 5.005 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 2.439 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Military & Security
- Military note
- the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) was established in 2009 as a small (1,500 personnel), lightly armed disaster response force; the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) was charged with assisting in the development of the KSF and bringing it up to standards designated by NATO; the KSF was certified as fully operational by the North Atlantic Council in 2013, indicating the then 2,200-strong KSF was entirely capable of performing the tasks assigned under its mandate, which included non-military security functions that were not appropriate for the police, plus missions such as search and rescue, explosive ordnance disposal, control and clearance of hazardous materials, firefighting, and other humanitarian assistance tasks
in 2019, Kosovo approved legislation that began a process to transition the KSF by 2028 into a professional military (the Kosovo Armed Forces) led by a General Staff and comprised of a Land Force, a National Guard, a Logistics Command, and a Doctrine and Training Command; it would have a strength of up to 5,000 with about 3,000 reserves; at the same time, the KSF’s mission was expanded to include traditional military functions, such as territorial defense and international peacekeeping; the KSF’s first international mission was the deployment of a small force to Kuwait in 2021
the NATO-led KFOR has operated in the country as a peace support force since 1999; in addition to assisting in the development of the KSF, KFOR is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment and ensuring freedom of movement for all citizens; as of 2025, it had approximately 4,700 troops from more than 30 countries (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.5%
- Military expenditures 2020
- 1% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 1.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 1.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Kosovo Security Force (KSF; Forca e Sigurisë së Kosovës or FSK): Land Force, National Guard (2025)
- Military service age and obligation
- any citizen of Kosovo over the age of 18 is eligible to serve in the Kosovo Security Force; upper age for enlisting is 30 for officers, 25 for other ranks, although these may be waived for recruits with key skills considered essential for the KSF
(2025) - Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the KSF is equipped with small arms and light vehicles and has relied on limited amounts of donated equipment from several countries, particularly Türkiye and the US (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 3,300 Kosovo Security Forces, including about 800 reserves (2024)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 15,582 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Kosovo — vintage 2026-Q1: Kosovo factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/kosovo
Sources: WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata