To which language should you translate to localize in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
LANGUAGE INSIGHT
Official languages
Bosnian (45.3%; 1.45 mln) and Serbian (15.2%; 488k)
Actual languages
Bosnian (45.3%; 1.45 mln), Croatian (28.8%; 924k), Serbian (15.2%; 488k), other (10.7%; 343k).
What the top 150 best localized websites in the world do in Bosnia and Herzegovina
(Top 150 websites listed in the Global by Design ranking – published annually by Byte Level Research, this report provides a list of globally localized websites, showcasing best practices and emerging trends in their globalization)
27/150 localize by translating into Bosnian
7/150 localize by translating into Croatian
1/150 localizes by translating into Serbian
1/150 localizes by translating into both Bosnian and Serbian
Imports $15.8 billion (2022). Refined Petroleum ($1.46B), Raw Aluminium ($595M), Coal Briquettes ($492M), Cars ($437M), and Electricity ($344M), importing mostly from Croatia ($2.45B), Serbia ($2.14B), Germany ($1.33B), Italy ($1.26B), and China ($1.04B).
Financial inclusion factors (over 15 years of age) • 79.3% have an account with a financial institution • 18% have a credit card • 7.8% make online purchases
Ease of doing business Ease of conducting business is medium (rated 65.4 out of 100). Ranked 22nd out of 24 European and Central Asian countries. Ranked 90th out of 190 countries worldwide (2023, World Bank).
Exports $10.2 billion (2022). Electricity ($606M), Raw Aluminium ($458M), Seats ($338M), Insulated Wire ($337M), and Iron Structures ($335M), exporting mostly to Croatia ($1.47B), Germany ($1.46B), Serbia ($1.35B), Italy ($1.07B), and Austria ($942M).
Main local online stores olx.ba, ebay.com, amazon.com
Economic freedom “Moderately free” (rated 62 out of 100). Ranked 33rd out of 44 European countries. Ranked 67th out of 184 countries worldwide (2024, Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal).
Global Innovation Index Ranked 37th out of 39 European countries, 77th out of 132 worldwide.
The Global Innovation Index captures the innovation ecosystem performance of 132 economies and tracks the most recent global innovation trends.
The Top Export Opportunities for Bosnia and Herzegovina by Relatedness
Relatedness measures the distance between a country's current exports and each product by showing only products that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not specialized in.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's Most Complex Exports
The Product Complexity Index (PCI) measures the knowledge intensity of a product by considering the knowledge intensity of its exporters.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's Most Specialized Products
Specialization is measured using Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), an index that takes the ratio between Bosnia and Herzegovina observed and expected exports in each product.
This score represents the likelihood that the given country will start importing that product in the next few years. It forecasts the opening of a new specific market.
Market Growth Exports (2019)
This score represents the likelihood that the given country will start exporting that product in the next few years. It forecasts the opening of a new specific market.
Media language Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian, English.
Information channels Divisions between the entities that make up Bosnia-Herzegovina are reflected in the media. TV is the most popular medium. BHRT is the state broadcaster, but the most influential TV outlets are those run by the Bosniak-Croat (RTVFBiH) and Serb (RTRS) entities. These are effectively controlled by the ruling political parties. There are more than 200 commercial radio and TV stations. The sector is saturated and outlets operate within a weak advertising market. Advertising revenues for broadcasters outstrip those for print media. Bosnian broadcasters face strong competition from their counterparts in Serbia and Croatia, and popular networks from these countries are widely available on cable. Reporters Without Borders says the polarised political climate has created a hostile environment for media freedom. It says media ownership is concentrated and the ownership of outlets is not transparent.
The press
Oslobodjenje (Liberation) – Sarajevo, daily Dnevni Avaz(Daily Voice) – Sarajevo, daily Nezavisne Novine (Independent Newspaper) – Banja Luka, daily Glas Srpske(Voice of the Serb Republic) – Banja Luka, Bosnian Serb government daily Dnevni List (Daily Courier) – Mostar, daily Dani (Days) – Sarajevo, weekly Slobodna Bosna (Free Bosnia) – Sarajevo, weekly
Share of web traffic by device 62.47% mobile phones, 36.18% computers (laptops and desktops), 1.30% tablet devices, others 0.04%.
Median speed of mobile Internet connection 23.41 Mbps
Median speed of fixed Internet connection 29.11 Mbps
Mobile connection as a percentage of total population 122.8%
Percentage of mobile connections that are broadband (3G-5G) 89.4%
Mostpopular web search engines Google (96.63%), Bing (2.61%), Yahoo! (0.38%), Yandex (0.16%), DuckduckGo (0.12%), other (0.1%).
Most used social media Facebook (86.25%), Instagram (6.68%), Twitter (2.63%), Pinterest (2.31%), YouTube (1.37%), Reddit (0.49%), Tumblr (0.12%), other (0.15%).
Corruption perceptions Index Bosnia and Herzegovina scored 34 out of 100, ranked 110th out of 180 countries worldwide.
Current health expenditure 9.56% of GDP
CO2 emissions 6.3 metric tons per capita
Ethnicity Ethnicity was always seen like a religion and it is linked to the geographical location and what entity you belong to (i.e. Serbian, Croat or Muslim). Nowadays, it is important more than ever as people are still adjusting to and digesting the outcomes of events during the 1992-1996 period, although it is less important in mixed areas. Following the main agreements for the establishment of Bosnia and Herzegovina, people generally accept the requirements of an ethnically balanced government and its agencies. However the private sector may not adhere to these agreements to the same extent. Signs of distrust vary from entity to entity and are still visible.
Gender It is a man’s world with full respect for a successful woman. Generally speaking, it is harder for a woman to build a career. Women residing within cities have a better status than ones within villages.
Religion It did not have importance prior to the war. It is probably very important now, especially within rural areas. However, it is less important in mixed areas (areas of mixed ethnicity).
Class No clear distinction between classes, but it does matter who is who. Antagonism between urban and rural areas is widespread as is prejudice and bias from the urban population towards the rural. Someone coming from a more individually oriented society might be surprised by the importance and significance of societal milieu and prestige.
World Happiness Index Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked 67th out of 146 countries, with a score of 5.768.
The Data Factbook is a work in progress project. Our community is helping us to fill it up always with new and updated data. Your contribution is precious. If you want to help us, please write your advices at imminent@translated.com
Country Curiosities
Sarajevo holds the distinction of being the first city in Europe with a full-time electric tram system. Trams have been integral to the city since 1885 when horse-drawn trams, known as “green dragons” for their speed and color, connected downtown Sarajevo with the train station. In 1895, Sarajevo introduced its first electric tram, powered by a new coal plant that also lit the city’s street lamps. The tram line ran from the rail station to the Latin Bridge, marking Europe’s first full-time electric tram line. Today, Sarajevo’s tram and trolleybus systems are vital to the city’s transport network, although they suffered extensive damage during the 1990s war, with many vehicles destroyed or damaged.
Additionally…
Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia on April 5th, 1992, leading to the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995.
The country has a complex demographic with three main ethnic groups: Bosniaks (mostly Muslim), Croats, and Serbs, with Bosniaks being the largest.
The Sarajevo Film Festival, established in 1995 during the Bosnian War, is now one of Europe’s largest, attracting over 100,000 visitors annually.
The 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo were the first Winter Games held in a socialist state, a Slavic-speaking country, and the Balkans since the inaugural Olympics in Athens.
Bosnia’s national anthem is one of the few in the world without lyrics.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has no official language, but Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian are used de facto, as recognized by the Constitutional Court.
The name “Bosnia” derives from the Indo-European word “Bosana,” meaning water.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is composed of two entities: the Federation of Bosniaand Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska.
Despite the civil war ending over two decades ago, more than 220,000 landmines remain buried in the country, posing a significant problem.
The geographical distribution of languages that you will find in the maps published in this section is a work in progress. Our community is helping us to fill it up with always new and updated data. Your contribution is precious. If you want to help us, please write to imminent.factbook@translated.com
Photo credit: ADEV, Unsplash
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