Belarus
Republic of BelarusRespublika Byelarus' (Belarusian)/
presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorshipIndependence 25 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Belarus as the 2025 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 149 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 any of the other former Soviet republics. In 1999, Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union, 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 taking office in 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 tightened in the wake of the disputed presidential election in 2020.
The election results sparked large-scale protests as members of the opposition and civil society criticized the election’s validity. LUKASHENKA has remained in power as the disputed winner of the presidential election after quelling protests in 2020. Since 2022, Belarus has facilitated Russia's war in Ukraine, which was launched in part from Belarusian territory.
Geography
Eastern Europe, east of Poland
19 fieldsLand useshare of 207,600 sq km
Natural resources
timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay
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
Population distribution
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
Geography - note
landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes
People and Society
35 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2024 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2025 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2009 est.)
Religions(2011 est.)
Languages
Russian (official) 71.4%, Belarusian (official) 26%, other 0.3% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 2.3% (2019 est.); major-language sample(s): Книга фактов о мире – незаменимый источник базовой информации. (Russian); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Population distribution
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.96 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.51 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.88 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- male:
- 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 1.7 deaths/1,000 live births
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.)
Child marriage
- women married by age 15:
- 0.1% (2019)
- women married by age 18:
- 4.7% (2019)
- men married by age 18:
- 1.6% (2019)
Environment
10 fieldsLand use(2023 est.)
Environmental issues
soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine
International environmental 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
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 80.7% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
46.709 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 1.497 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids:
- 15.884 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 29.328 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually:
- 4.28 million tons (2024 est.)
- percent of municipal solid waste recycled:
- 19% (2022 est.)
Total water withdrawal
- municipal:
- 600 million cubic meters (2022)
- industrial:
- 430 million cubic meters (2022)
- agricultural:
- 385 million cubic meters (2022)
Government
Presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship; President Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (since 20 July 1994); Prime Minister Alyaksandr TURCHYN (since 10 March 2025)
25 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
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 Slavic words "bel" (white) and "Rus" (the Old East Slavic ethnic designation) to form the meaning White Rusian or White Ruthenian
Capital
- name:
- Minsk
- geographic coordinates:
- 53 54 N, 27 34 E
- time difference:
- UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- etymology:
- the origin of the name is disputed; it may be derived from the Menka River
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
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
Constitution
- history:
- several previous; latest drafted between late 1991 and early 1994, signed 15 March 1994
- amendment process:
- 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
note: one of several amendments passed in the February 2022 referendum -- the presidential 5-year, two-term limit -- will be imposed after the 2025 election
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (since 20 July 1994)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Alyaksandr TURCHYN (since 10 March 2025)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the president
- election/appointment process:
- president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (no term limits);
- prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly
- most recent election date:
- first election held on 23 June and 10 July 1994;
- the 1994 constitution set the next election for 1999, but Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA extended his term to 2001 via a referendum;
- subsequent election held in 2001;
- a 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and allowed LUKASHENKA to run and win a third term (19 March 2006), fourth term (19 December 2010), fifth term (11 October 2015), sixth term (9 August 2020), and seventh term (26 January 2025)
- election results:
- ;
- 2025: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA reelected president;
- percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 86.8%, Sergey Syrankov (Communist Party) 3.2%, 3.6% voting against all
;- 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 elected president;
- percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 84.1%, Tatsyana KARATKEVIC (BSDPH) 4.4%, Sergey GAYDUKEVICH (LDP) 3.3%, other 8.2%.
- expected date of next election:
- 2030
Legislative branch
- legislature name:
- National Assembly (Natsionalnoye Sobranie)
- legislative structure:
- bicameral
Legislative branch - lower chamber
- chamber name:
- House of Representatives (Palata Predstaviteley)
- number of seats:
- 110 (all directly elected)
- electoral system:
- plurality/majority
- scope of elections:
- full renewal
- term in office:
- 5 years
- most recent election date:
- 2/25/2024
- parties elected and seats per party:
- Belaya Rus party (51);
- Republican Party of Labour and Justice (8);
- Communist Party of Belarus (7);
- Non-partisans (40);
- Other (4)
- percentage of women in chamber:
- 33.9%
- expected date of next election:
- February 2029
Legislative branch - upper chamber
- chamber name:
- Council of the Republic (Soviet Respubliki)
- number of seats:
- 65 (56 indirectly elected; 8 appointed)
- scope of elections:
- full renewal
- term in office:
- 5 years
- most recent election date:
- 4/4/2024
- percentage of women in chamber:
- 30.5%
- expected date of next election:
- March 2029
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
- Belaya Rus or BR
- Republican Party of Labour and Justice or RPTS
- Communist Party of Belarus or CBP
- Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus or LDPB
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:
- [email protected]; Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the United States of America (mfa.gov.by)
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Michael KREIDLER (since July 2025)
- embassy:
- 46 Starovilenskaya Street, Minsk 220002
- mailing address:
- 7010 Minsk Place, Washington DC 20521-7010
- telephone:
- [375] (17) 210-12-83
- FAX:
- [375] (17) 334-78-53
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://by.usembassy.gov/
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, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), ZC
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
Flag
- description:
- red horizontal band (top), with a green horizontal band below that is half the width of the red band;
- a white vertical stripe on the left side has traditional Belarusian designs in red
- meaning:
- the red stands for past struggles to escape oppression, and the green for hope and the country's forests
National symbol(s)
no official symbol; the mounted knight known as Pahonia (the Chaser) is the traditional symbol
National anthem(s)
- title:
- "My, Bielarusy" (We Belarusians)
- lyrics/music:
- Mikhas KLIMKOVICH and Uladzimir KARYZNA/Nester SAKALOUSKI
- history:
- 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
32 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2024 est.)
Budget(2023 est.)
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
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
- agriculture:
- 6.9% (2024 est.)
- industry:
- 30.7% (2024 est.)
- services:
- 49.7% (2024 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Agricultural products
milk, sugar beets, potatoes, wheat, triticale, barley, maize, rapeseed, rye, chicken (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances
Labor force
4.817 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Unemployment rate
3.4% (2024 est.) · 3.5% (2023 est.) · 3.6% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
- total:
- 10.1% (2024 est.)
- male:
- 11.7% (2024 est.)
- female:
- 8.4% (2024 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Population below poverty line
3.9% (2022 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
24.4 (2020 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Average household expenditures
- on food:
- 29.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- on alcohol and tobacco:
- 7.6% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Remittances
1.8% of GDP (2024 est.) · 1.7% of GDP (2023 est.) · 2% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Taxes and other revenues
12.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Current account balance
-$1.925 billion (2024 est.) · -$1.104 billion (2023 est.) · $2.628 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Exports
$49.386 billion (2024 est.) · $47.714 billion (2023 est.) · $47.124 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports - commodities
fertilizers, rapeseed oil, wood, poultry, beef (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$50.679 billion (2024 est.) · $47.459 billion (2023 est.) · $42.438 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports - commodities
cars, broadcasting equipment, fabric, plastic products, video displays (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$8.912 billion (2024 est.) · $8.118 billion (2023 est.) · $7.923 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Debt - external
$18.01 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar - 3.246 (2024 est.) · 3.007 (2023 est.) · 2.626 (2022 est.) · 2.539 (2021 est.) · 2.44 (2020 est.)
Energy
8 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity, 12.653 million kW(2023 est.)
Nuclear energy
- Number of operational nuclear reactors:
- 2 (2025)
- Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors:
- 2.22GW (2025 est.)
- Percent of total electricity production:
- 28.6% (2023 est.)
Coal
- consumption:
- 710,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- exports:
- 966,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- imports:
- 1.635 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- total petroleum production:
- 30,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- refined petroleum consumption:
- 125,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- crude oil estimated reserves:
- 198 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
- production:
- 68.494 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
- consumption:
- 15.094 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- imports:
- 15.433 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 2.832 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Communications
6 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2023–24 est.)
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)
Transportation
5 fieldsRailways
- 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)
Military and Security
6 fieldsMilitary and security forces
- Belarus Armed Forces:
- Army, Air and Air Defense Force, Special Operations Force, Special Troops, Territorial Defense Forces
- Ministry of Interior:
- State Border Troops, Militia, Internal Troops (2025)
note: in early 2023, President LUKASHENKA ordered the formation of a new volunteer paramilitary territorial defense force to supplement the Army
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 50-60,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the military's inventory is comprised mostly of Russian and Soviet-origin equipment;
- Belarus's defense industry manufactures some equipment (mostly modernized Soviet designs), including vehicles, guided weapons, and electronic warfare systems (2025)
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;
- 17-year-olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel (2025)
note: conscripts can be assigned to the military, to the Ministry of Interior, or to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (alternative service)
Military - note
the military of Belarus is responsible for territorial defense; Russia is the country’s closest security partner, and the military conducts joint training exercises with Russian forces; in 2022, Belarus allowed the Russian military to stage on its territory for their invasion of Ukraine; 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 (2025)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsRefugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees:
- 44,621 (2024 est.)
- stateless persons:
- 5,620 (2024 est.)
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 remained on Tier 3;
- for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/belarus/
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Belarus.” The World Factbook 2025. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/belarus.