Montenegro

parliamentary republic

name: Podgorica geographic coordinates: 42 26 N, 19 16 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1 hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the Slavic name translates as "under the mountain," from pod (under) and gora (mountain) note: Cetinje retains the status of "Old Royal Capital"

chief of state: President Jakov MILATOVIC (since 20 May 2023) head of government: Prime Minister Milojko SPAJIC (since 31 October 2023) cabinet: ministers serve as the cabinet election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister nominated by the president, approved by the Assembly most recent election date: 19 March 2023, with a runoff on 2 April 2023 election results: 2023: Jakov MILATOVIC elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Milo DUKANOVIC (DPS) 35.4%, Jakov MILATOVIC (Europe Now!) 28.9%, Andrija MANDIC (DF) 19.3%, Aleksa BECIC (DCG) 11.1%, other 5.3%; percent of vote in second round - Jakov MILATOVIC 58.9%, Milo DUKANOVIC 41.1% 2018: Milo DJUKANOVIC elected president in first round; percent of vote - Milo DJUKANOVIC (DPS) 53.9%, Mladen BOJANIC (independent) 33.4%, Draginja VUKSANOVIC (SDP) 8.2%, Marko MILACIC (PRAVA) 2.8%, other 1.7% expected date of next election: 2028

legislature name: Parliament (Skupstina) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 81 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 6/11/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Europe now! (Evropa sad) (24); Together! For the future that belongs to you (DPS – SD – DUA – LP - UDSh) (21); For the future of Montenegro (New Serb Democracy; Democratic People’s Party of Montenegro, Labour Party) (13); Bravery counts! (HRABRO se broji!) (11); It’s clear! (Jasno je!) – Bosniak Party (6); Other (6) percentage of women in chamber: 27.2% expected date of next election: June 2027

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Vrhovni Sud (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 15 judges); Constitutional Court or Ustavni Sud (consists of the court president and 7 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president proposed by general session of the Supreme Court and elected by the Judicial Council, a 9-member body consisting of judges, lawyers designated by the Assembly, and the minister of judicial affairs; Supreme Court president elected for a single renewable, 5-year term; other judges elected by the Judicial Council for life; Constitutional Court judges - 2 proposed by the president of Montenegro and 5 by the Assembly, and elected by the Assembly; court president elected from among the court members; court president elected for a 3-year term, other judges serve 9-year terms subordinate courts: Administrative Courts; Appellate Court; Commercial Courts; High Courts; basic courts

history: several previous; latest adopted 22 October 2007 amendment process: proposed by the president of Montenegro, by the government, or by at least 25 members of the Assembly; passage of draft proposals requires two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, followed by a public hearing; passage of draft amendments requires two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; changes to certain constitutional articles, such as sovereignty, state symbols, citizenship, and constitutional change procedures, require three-fifths majority vote in a referendum

CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO note: Montenegro is an EU candidate country whose satisfactory completion of accession criteria is required before being granted full EU membership

2% of GDP (2025 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Army of Montenegro (Vojska Crne Gore or VCG): Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy Ministry of Interior: Police Directorate of Montenegro (2025)

18-30 for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2006 (2025) note: as of 2024, women made up over 11% of the military's full-time personnel

the Army of Montenegro is responsible for the defense of Montenegro s sovereignty and territorial integrity, cooperating in international and multinational security, and assisting civil authorities during emergencies such as natural disasters; since Montenegro joined NATO in 2017, another focus has been integrating into the Alliance, including adapting NATO standards for planning and professionalization, structural reforms, and modernization by replacing its Soviet-era equipment; the Army trains and exercises with NATO partners and actively supports NATO missions and operations, committing small numbers of troops in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and NATO s Enhanced Forward Presence mission in Eastern Europe; a few personnel have also been deployed on EU- and UN-led operations (2025)

$17.375 billion (2024 est.) $16.862 billion (2023 est.) $15.857 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$27,900 (2024 est.) $27,000 (2023 est.) $25,400 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3% (2024 est.) 6.3% (2023 est.) 6.4% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

3.3% (2024 est.) 8.6% (2023 est.) 13% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

67.2% of GDP (2017 est.) note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

$3.629 billion (2024 est.) $3.769 billion (2023 est.) $3.177 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$5.478 billion (2024 est.) $5.167 billion (2023 est.) $4.614 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

14.1% (2024 est.) 14.7% (2023 est.) 14.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $1.463 billion (2015 est.) expenditures: $1.491 billion (2015 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

steelmaking, aluminum, agricultural processing, consumer goods, tourism

milk, potatoes, watermelons, grapes, sheep milk, cabbages, oranges, eggs, goat milk, figs (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 599,849 (2024 est.) male: 294,482 female: 305,367

-0.46% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 17.7% (male 54,608/female 51,594) 15-64 years: 64.4% (male 192,631/female 193,515) 65 years and over: 17.9% (2024 est.) (male 47,243/female 60,258)

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

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

-5.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 78.2 years (2024 est.) male: 75.8 years female: 80.7 years

urban population: 68.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Montenegrin 45%, Serbian 28.7%, Bosniak 8.7%, Albanian 4.9%, Muslim 3.3%, Romani 1%, Croat 1%, other 2.6%, unspecified 4.9% (2011 est.)

Serbian 42.9%, Montenegrin (official) 37%, Bosnian 5.3%, Albanian 5.3%, Serbo-Croat 2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 4% (2011 est.) major-language sample(s): Knjiga svetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Serbian) Knjiga svjetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Montenegrin/Bosnian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Orthodox 72.1%, Muslim 19.1%, Catholic 3.4%, atheist 1.2%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2011 est.)

total population: 98.5% (2018 est.) male: 99.2% (2018 est.) female: 97.9% (2018 est.)

bauxite, hydroelectricity

refugees: 18,820 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 423 (2024 est.)

5 (2025)

total: 250 km (2017) standard gauge: 250 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (224 km electrified)

total: 18 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 4, other 14

total subscriptions: 1.31 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 203 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 90% (2023 est.)