Belarus

World Book Index

Introduction

Background
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. Government restrictions on political and civil freedoms, freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion have remained in place under President Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA.

Geography

Area
total : 207,600 sq km
land: 202,900 sq km
water: 4,700 sq km

Climate
cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime

Natural resources
timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

People and Society

Population
total: 9,501,451 (2024 est.)

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% (2019 est.)

Religions
Orthodox 48.3%, Catholic 7.1%, other 3.5%, non-believers 41.1% (2011 est.)

Population growth rate
-0.42% (2024 est.)

Government

Government type
presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

Capital
name: Minsk

Executive branch
chief of state: President Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (since 20 July 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Alyaksandr TURCHYN (since 10 March 2025)

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant; recalled by Belarus in 2008); Chargé d'Affaires Pavel SHIDLOWSKI (since 9 August 2022)

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Michael KREIDLER (since July 2025)

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)
$265.22 billion (2024 est.)
$254.995 billion (2023 est.)
$244.89 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita
$29,000 (2024 est.)
$27,800 (2023 est.)
$26,500 (2022 est.)

Exports
$49.386 billion (2024 est.)
$47.714 billion (2023 est.)
$47.124 billion (2022 est.)

Exports - partners
China 34%, Kazakhstan 10%, Uzbekistan 7%, Poland 6%, Brazil 5% (2023)

Exports - commodities
fertilizers, rapeseed oil, wood, poultry, beef (2023)

Imports
$50.679 billion (2024 est.)
$47.459 billion (2023 est.)
$42.438 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - partners
China 33%, Poland 16%, Germany 11%, Lithuania 10%, Turkey 9% (2023)

Imports - commodities
cars, broadcasting equipment, fabric, plastic products, video displays (2023)

Human Development Index

The country's Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.824, ranking it 65th out of 193 countries tested. (more information)

World Happiness Report

The World Happiness Report ranked the country 85th out of 158 countries tested with a score of 5.54. (more information)