Photo: Goran Anđelić Derivative work by Globe-trotter · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Poverty & Inequality
How is a country’s income shared, and how many live below a line?
Bosnia and Herzegovina is placed 31st of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 30.31 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 0.07 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
31st
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Bosnia and Herzegovina on poverty & inequality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Gini Index
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Bosnia and Herzegovina’s is from 2021 · CC BY 4.0
30.31
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 30.31. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 23 (India) to 59.07 (Namibia); the world median is 33.72.
- World median
- 33.72
- Best in Southern Europe
- 24.68 Slovenia
- Land neighbours
- Croatia 30.11 · Montenegro 34.3 · Serbia 32.82
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Bosnia and Herzegovina’s is from 2021 · CC BY 4.0
0.07
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 0.07. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0 (Czechia) to 48.69 (DR Congo); the world median is 0.345.
- World median
- 0.345
- Best in Southern Europe
- 0 Slovenia
- Land neighbours
- Croatia 0.14 · Montenegro 1.22 · Serbia 0.48
Key 3 of 3
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
12.7
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 12.7. Across the 145 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Belarus) to 93.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 26.4.
- World median
- 26.4
- Best in Southern Europe
- 2.3 Slovenia
- Land neighbours
- Croatia 12 · Montenegro 7.5 · Serbia 8.5
02Over time
Which way Bosnia and Herzegovina is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Gini Index
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) · lower is better
Bosnia and HerzegovinaWorld median
Bosnia and Herzegovina fell from 34.04 in 2004 to 30.31 in 2021; the world median went from 34.29 to 34.03.
Every year’s figures
Year Bosnia and Herzegovina World median 2023 — 33.72 2022 — 33.91 2021 30.3 34.04 2020 — 34.18 2019 — 33.51 2018 — 35.25 2017 — 34.86 2016 — 34.47 2015 32.9 35.52 2014 — 34.79 2013 — 36.16 2012 — 35.40 2011 33.3 33.96 2010 — 33.71 2009 — 34.91 2008 — 34.60 2007 34.3 34.26 2006 — 35.63 2005 — 36.28 2004 34.0 34.29 2003 — 35.46 2002 — 37.14 Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) · lower is better
Bosnia and HerzegovinaWorld median
Bosnia and Herzegovina fell from 0.1 in 2004 to 0.07 in 2021; the world median went from 0.79 to 0.335.
Every year’s figures
Year Bosnia and Herzegovina World median 2023 — 0.345 2022 — 0.420 2021 0.07 0.335 2020 — 0.280 2019 — 0.380 2018 — 0.460 2017 — 0.300 2016 — 0.440 2015 0.33 0.500 2014 — 0.635 2013 — 0.515 2012 — 0.640 2011 0.25 0.430 2010 — 0.530 2009 — 0.600 2008 — 0.350 2007 0.18 0.360 2006 — 0.465 2005 — 1.250 2004 0.10 0.790 2003 — 1.650 2002 — 3.010 Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
Bosnia and HerzegovinaWorld median
Bosnia and Herzegovina fell from 18.3 in 2017 to 12.7 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year Bosnia and Herzegovina World median 2025 12.7 26.40 2024 12.7 27.10 2023 13.8 27.15 2022 14.1 27.90 2021 14.8 29.65 2020 16.1 31.80 2019 15.9 29.05 2018 16.9 29.85 2017 18.3 32.40
03In context
Bosnia and Herzegovina beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 159 countries on poverty & inequality, never a place within the region.
Bosnia and Herzegovina and the countries it borders
Standing among all 159; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Gini IndexGini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) | Poverty Gap at $3.00 a DayPoverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) | Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy DietShare of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 31st | 30.31 | 0.07 | 12.7 |
 Croatia | 32nd | 30.11 | 0.14 | 12 |
 Serbia | =49th | 32.82 | 0.48 | 8.5 |
 Montenegro | 65th | 34.3 | 1.22 | 7.5 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Southern Europe
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 159.
Placed either side on poverty & inequality
The countries immediately above and below Bosnia and Herzegovina in the topic’s list.
Canada28th
South Korea29th
Malta30th- Bosnia and Herzegovina31st
- Croatia32nd
Austria33rd
United Kingdom34th
04Context, no vote
Where Bosnia and Herzegovina is ahead of the world, and behind
16 more statistics filed under poverty & inequality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median11
Statistics on which Bosnia and Herzegovina does better than the middle country measured.
Gini Index of Monthly EarningsILO · 2024 · world median 0.3370.1820.337▲ Improved since 2014
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 0.182 · world median 0.337 · Gini index of employees’ monthly earnings (0 = all paid the same, 1 = maximum inequality). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.182 to 0.643; lower is better.
Position 75th of 75 · derived, 1st = worst.
Working Poverty RateILO · 2025 · world median 4.8850.0884.885▲ Improved since 2015
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 0.088 · world median 4.885 · Employed people living in extreme poverty (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.007 to 86.02; lower is better.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.10.222.1▲ Improved since 2014
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 0.22 · world median 2.1 · Population below $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP, World Bank line-up estimate (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 89.54; lower is better.
Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.9080.529No earlier reading
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 0.908 · world median 0.529 · Adjusted wealth parity index, lower secondary completion (poorest vs richest fifth; 1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.032 to 1.022; higher is better.
Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 20.98.720.9▲ Improved since 2015
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 8.7 · world median 20.9 · Population in moderate or severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 88.8; lower is better.
Position 104th of 135 · derived, 1st = worst.
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour BenefitsWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 18.6532.4518.65No earlier reading
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 32.45 · world median 18.65 · Benefits received as a share of beneficiaries' total income or consumption (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.455 to 90.86; higher is better.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.220.25▼ Worsened since 2014
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 0.22 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.6890.609▲ Improved since 2013
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 0.689 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 63rd of 169 · derived.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.0513.7717.05▲ Improved since 2013
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 13.77 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 105th of 169 · derived, 1st = worst.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,80013,49012,800No real change since 2017
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 13,490 · world median 12,800 · Actual individual consumption per capita (PPP, current international $). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from 688.7 to 52,654; higher is better.
Position 82nd of 173 · derived.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.3730.413No real change since 2013
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 0.373 · world median 0.413 · Exclusion by socio-economic group index (0–1; higher = more exclusion). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.014 to 0.969; lower is better.
Position 90th of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median2
Statistics on which Bosnia and Herzegovina does worse than the middle country measured.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.4470.446No earlier reading
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 0.447 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 75th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Low Pay RateILO · 2024 · world median 17.8923.7717.89▼ Worsened since 2014
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 23.77 · world median 17.89 · Employees paid less than two-thirds of the median hourly earnings (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 3.395 to 41.69; lower is better.
Position 20th of 71 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.556.884.55Moved since 2017
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 6.88 · world median 4.55 · Cost of the cheapest locally available healthy diet, PPP dollars per person per day. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.66 to 8.27.
Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingWorld Bank Group · 2019 · world median 6.888.1776.88No earlier reading
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 8.177 · world median 6.88 · Population in households spending more than 10% of their budget on health out of pocket (%). World Bank Group, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.133 to 31.21.
Poverty Headcount at National Poverty LinesWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 21.816.921.8No earlier reading
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 16.9 · world median 21.8 · Population below the national poverty line (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 82.3.
No current reading for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Gini Index (last 2021), Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID) (last 2021), Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (last 2024), Income Growth of the Poorest 40%, Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2021), Income Share Held by Richest 10% (last 2021), Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person (last 2021), Multidimensional Poverty Measure, Palma Ratio (last 2021), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Prosperity Gap (last 2021), Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months and Societal Poverty Rate (last 2021). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Poverty & Inequality among Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 15 topics
Poverty & Inequality is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 2nd best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Food & Agriculture33rd of 1844/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality31st of 1593/3 keys
- Risk & Resiliencejoint 41st of 1934/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing52nd of 2003/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital60th of 1963/3 keys
- Economy & Innovation61st of 1764/4 keys
- Peace & Securityjoint 86th of 1774/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties102nd of 1984/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade100th of 1772/4 keys
- Gender & Equality104th of 1834/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 118th of 1944/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability117th of 1863/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 119th of 1824/4 keys
- Digital & Technology130th of 1984/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge136th of 1984/4 keys
No standing on Energy: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders Bosnia and Herzegovina can most readily be measured against.
1
BelarusEastern Europe
1st of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
SloveniaSouthern Europe
2nd of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
=3
UkraineEastern Europe
Joint 3rd of 159 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: uploaded by Chern038 · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Europe
Belarus1st3/3 keysHighest in Southern Europe
Slovenia2nd3/3 keysThis page
Bosnia and Herzegovina31st3/3 keys
Positions out of 159 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Bosnia and Herzegovina on poverty & inequality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Bosnia and Herzegovina rank on poverty & inequality?
Bosnia and Herzegovina is placed 31st of 159 countries on Poverty & Inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Gini Index, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day and Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Gini Index figure for Bosnia and Herzegovina?
30.31 in 2023 (gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 33.72.
What is the latest Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day figure for Bosnia and Herzegovina?
0.07 in 2023 (poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.345.
How does Bosnia and Herzegovina compare with Serbia on poverty & inequality?
Serbia is placed joint 49th of 159, and Bosnia and Herzegovina 31st. Gini Index: Serbia 32.82, Bosnia and Herzegovina 30.31; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day: Serbia 0.48, Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.07; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet: Serbia 8.5, Bosnia and Herzegovina 12.7.
How have Bosnia and Herzegovina’s poverty & inequality figures changed?
Gini Index fell from 34.04 in 2004 to 30.31 in 2021; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day fell from 0.1 in 2004 to 0.07 in 2021; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet fell from 18.3 in 2017 to 12.7 in 2025.
Which poverty & inequality statistics are missing for Bosnia and Herzegovina?
No current reading is published for Bosnia and Herzegovina on Gini Index, Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Income Growth of the Poorest 40%, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Income Share Held by Richest 10%, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person, Multidimensional Poverty Measure, Palma Ratio, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day, Prosperity Gap, Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months and Societal Poverty Rate. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
These figures come from household surveys, which most countries run every few years rather than every year. So the subject's standing is read from each country's most recent survey of the last decade, with the year of every reading shown, rather than from one year in which only a minority of countries were surveyed. Two readings decide it — how unequally income is shared and how deep extreme poverty runs — because the other poverty and inequality measures here largely repeat one of those two or repeat average income, which already counts under Economy and Development. Countries with no survey in the last decade have no standing here. What work pays is under Work & Labour; wealth, as opposed to income, has no global source this site is permitted to republish.
How the Poverty & Inequality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 3 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 3 keys to be placed.
The poverty & inequality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Gini Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 16 statistics on this page come from 6 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (banner) — Goran Anđelić Derivative work by Globe-trotter, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belarus — zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Slovenia — Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 3.0
- Ukraine — uploaded by Chern038, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Bosnia and Herzegovina: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/poverty