Bosnia and Herzegovina
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a substantial slump in exports, tourism earnings, private consumption and industrial production, causing BiH’s GDP to contract by an estimated 5.1% in 2020. To mitigate the economic downturn, the central government has received a combined EUR 741 million in financial aid and loans from the EU and the IMF. However, the complex BiH federative structure limits the country in introducing fiscal response measures.

FORECAST* | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Main Economic Indicators | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Population, 1000 persons | 3504 | 3496 | 3485 | . | . | . |
GDP, real change in % | 3.2 | 3.7 | 2.8 | -5.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
GDP per capita (EUR at PPP) | 9030 | 9620 | 10080 | . | . | . |
Gross industrial production, real change in % | 3.2 | 1.6 | -5.3 | . | . | . |
Unemployment rate - LFS, in %, average | 20.5 | 18.4 | 15.7 | 18.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 |
Average gross monthly wages, EUR | 676 | 697 | 727 | . | . | . |
Consumer prices, % p.a. | 0.8 | 1.4 | 0.6 | -0.4 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
Fiscal balance in % of GDP | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.9 | . | . | . |
Public debt in % of GDP | 36.1 | 34.2 | 32.8 | . | . | . |
Current account in % of GDP | -4.8 | -3.3 | -3.1 | -2.6 | -3.9 | -3.6 |
FDI inflow, EUR mn | 455 | 501 | 346 | . | . | . |
Gross external debt in % of GDP | 54.3 | 54.1 | 55.6 | . | . | . |
Basic data are continuously updated.
* Forecasts are changed beginning of March, July and November.
See Press Conferences.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: Limited policy options restrict pandemic response
Bernd Christoph Ströhm
in: No Quick Recovery in Sight, with Coronavirus Risks Looming Large
wiiw Forecast Report No. Autumn 2020, November 2020 , pp. 45-47
Details and Buy
Monthly Report No. 5/2020
Vasily Astrov, Alexandra Bykova, Rumen Dobrinsky, Richard Grieveson, Doris Hanzl-Weiss, Gabor Hunya, Sebastian Leitner, Isilda Mara, Olga Pindyuk, Leon Podkaminer, Sandor Richter, Bernd Christoph Ströhm and Hermine Vidovic
wiiw Monthly Report No. 5, May 2020
96 pages including 27 Tables and 39 Figures