Belarus

presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

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

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

legislature name: National Assembly (Natsionalnoye Sobranie) legislative structure: bicameral

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

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

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

2% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

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

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)

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)

$265.22 billion (2024 est.) $254.995 billion (2023 est.) $244.89 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$29,000 (2024 est.) $27,800 (2023 est.) $26,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

4% (2024 est.) 4.1% (2023 est.) -4.7% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

5.8% (2024 est.) 5% (2023 est.) 15.2% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

33.2% of GDP (2019 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$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

$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

3.4% (2024 est.) 3.5% (2023 est.) 3.6% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $22.876 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $21.912 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances

milk, sugar beets, potatoes, wheat, triticale, barley, maize, rapeseed, rye, chicken (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 9,460,972 (2025 est.) male: 4,414,771 female: 5,046,201

-0.44% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 16.1% (male 787,849/female 741,293) 15-64 years: 66.1% (male 3,073,507/female 3,204,088) 65 years and over: 17.8% (2024 est.) (male 572,483/female 1,122,231)

8.16 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

13.21 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 74.7 years (2024 est.) male: 69.8 years female: 80 years

urban population: 80.7% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Belarusian 83.7%, Russian 8.3%, Polish 3.1%, Ukrainian 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.9% (2009 est.)

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.

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

total population: 99.9% (2019 est.) male: 99.9% (2019 est.) female: 99.9% (2019 est.)

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

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/

refugees: 44,621 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 5,620 (2024 est.)

46 (2025)

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)

total: 4 (2023) by type: other 4

total subscriptions: 11.9 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 131 (2024 est.)

percent of population: 92% (2023 est.)