National minorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina


The legislation of Bosnia and Herzegovina recognises three constituent peoples and 17 national minorities. These latter include 2.73% of the total population of the country, i.e. 96,539 persons. The biggest community is the Romani people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are estimated at around 58,000 persons.

Legislative framework

The state-level Law on the Protection of National Minorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina was adopted in 2003, followed by the Law on the Protection of National Minorities of the Republika Srpska in 2005, and the Law on the Protection of National Minorities in Federation of BiH in 2008. Similar laws were passed also by the Government of the Brcko District of BiH and three cantons of the Federation of BiH.
Bosnia and Herzegovina ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2010.

National Minority Councils

Since 2006, the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina established the Council of National Minorities, as a special advisory body to give opinions, advice and proposals to the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH on all matters concerning the law, position and interests of national minorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The BiH National Minority Council is composed of 17 representatives of national minorities, one representative on behalf of each ethnic
minority.
The National Minority Council of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity was established in March 2016.
The National Minority Council of the Republika Srpska entity was established in 2005.
The National Minority Council of Sarajevo Canton was established in 2012, with extended powers of legislative initiative.

Associations

In Bosnia and Herzegovina exists more than 100 national minority CSOs. Generally, associations operate individually or within the alliances. The Association of National Minorities of Republika Srpska was established in 2003 as a voluntary and open non-partisan association of citizens. It gathers, as an umbrella organisations, 40 member associations of national minorities in Republika Srpska..

Education in minority languages

The Italian and Ukrainian languages are taught in one and four schools respectively in the town of Prnjavor.
German, Russian and Italian languages are taught as foreign languages in several high schools throughout the country.
Associations and embassies also organise several elective courses of minority languages as foreign languages.
Several newsletters and bulletins are published periodically in minority languages, including four in Slovenian language, and one each in Hungarian, Macedonian, Italian and Czech language

Demographics

Minority1991 census2013 censusAssociations
Albanians in Bosnia and Herzegovina4,9252,659 +150 self declared kosovars, siptari, bosnian-albanian etc.
Czechs in Bosnia and HerzegovinaČeská beseda
Germans in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hungarians in Bosnia and HerzegovinaAssociation of Hungarians Sarajevo HUM
Italians in Bosnia and HerzegovinaAssociation of Italians of the City of Banja Luka; Association of Citizens of Italian Origin ; UGIP "Rino Zandonai" Tuzla
Jews in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Macedonians in Bosnia and Herzegovina1,596738Association of Macedonians of RS
Montenegrins of Bosnia and Herzegovina10,0711,883
Poles in Bosnia and Herzegovina526258Association of Poles "POLSA"
Romani people in Bosnia and Herzegovina8,86412,583 84 associations; BiH Roma Committee
Romanians in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Russians in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ruthenians in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Slovaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Slovenians in Bosnia and Herzegovina937Slovenian Cultural Association "Cankar" Sarajevo
Turks in Bosnia and Herzegovina26750,000
Ukrainians in Bosnia and Herzegovina2,331