Life Expectancy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2024): Men 74.6, Women 81.1

Life expectancy in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Bosnia and Herzegovina has risen by 19.5 years, from 58.5 to 78.0. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 2.8 years (from 77.4 in 2019 to 74.6 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 6.5 years longer than men (81.1 vs 74.6).

Expected age at death in Bosnia and Herzegovina by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	74.6	75.6	76.5	78.8	86.1
Women	81.1	82.2	82.9	84.5	89.6

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s figures (method).

How people die in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chronic diseases: 95.1%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 1.9%
Injuries: 3%

In 2019, 95% of deaths in Bosnia and Herzegovina were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Bosnia and Herzegovina man has a 22% chance and a woman 13% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 13.5 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, about 6.9 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Bosnia and Herzegovina compared with its region

Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the World Bank’s Europe & Central Asia region, where the average life expectancy is 79.3 years. It ranks #37 of 58 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
33	Poland	78.4	74.8	82.2
34	Slovakia	78.4	75.2	81.7
35	Armenia	78.3	75.1	81.7
36	Kosovo	78.2	76.0	80.3
37	Bosnia and Herzegovina	78.0	74.6	81.1
38	Montenegro	77.9	75.5	80.4
39	Türkiye	77.4	74.6	80.3
40	Lithuania	77.2	73.0	81.6
41	Hungary	76.7	73.7	79.9

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

78.0 years in 2024: 74.6 for men and 81.1 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Yes. Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina live about 6.5 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Bosnia and Herzegovina rank for life expectancy?

Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks #69 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 4.5 years above the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Life expectancy at birth (78.0) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Bosnia and Herzegovina can expect to live to about 76.5, and a 40-year-old woman to about 82.9.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.