Serbia population pyramid 2026
6,641,964 people in 2026 (projected). Serbia’s pyramid bears the marks of both world wars; deaths have exceeded births since 1992 and now outnumber them by about two-thirds.
- 2026 population
- 6.6Mrank 111 of 237
- Median age
- 44.7 yearsoldest rank 25
- Fertility rate
- 1.51births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older23.4% age 65+
Serbia population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Serbia age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 14.2% of the population, while 23.4% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 62.4% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Serbia’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 60.2: about 60 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (22.8 children and 37.5 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Serbia’s population pyramid
Two wars written into the 1950 chart
Serbia suffered exceptionally heavy losses in the First World War, and the 1950 pyramid shows it clearly. The 30–34 band, born around 1916–20, is little more than half the size of the 25–29 band and far narrower than the older 35–39 band: births collapsed during the war and its aftermath. A second notch at ages 5–9 marks the births lost in 1941–45. Women outnumber men across most adult ages, especially above 50, the combined result of war deaths among men and higher male mortality.
Both deficits travelled up the chart. By 1975 the First World War cohorts formed a sharp notch at 55–59 and the Second World War cohorts one at 30–34. In 2026 the latter are in their early eighties, while the post-war baby boom stands out as a bulge at 70–74, born about 1952–56 and roughly 18% larger than the bands around it.
Low fertility and a long decline
Fertility was already below replacement level by 1970 and dropped further during the 1990s, the decade of the Yugoslav wars, international sanctions and economic collapse, reaching about 1.35 in 2000. It has since recovered only slightly, to about 1.5. The widest bands in 2026 are now 40–54, people born around 1972–86, and each younger band is smaller, so the pyramid narrows towards a base about three-fifths the width of its widest point.
The population peaked at about 7.9 million in 1987, and deaths have exceeded births since 1992. In 2026 the UN projects about 95,000 deaths against 57,000 births. Recorded net emigration is modest in the UN series, about 94,000 between 2000 and 2023, but this net figure combines flows in both directions: refugees arrived from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s, while many Serbs left to work in western Europe. The structure closely resembles those of Croatia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.
Widows outnumber widowers
Life expectancy in 2026 is about 74 for men and 80.5 for women, and the gap accumulates at the top of the chart: there are 76 men per 100 women at 70–74 and only 57 at 80–84. The guide to population ageing explains why this gap matters more as the older population grows.
Under the UN medium scenario the population falls to about 5.5 million in 2050 and 3.7 million in 2100, placing Serbia among the fastest-declining populations; by 2050 people aged 65 and over make up about 29% of residents.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70–74 | 1952–1956 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +18% |
Deaths have exceeded births every year since 1992. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2000 and 2005.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Serbia is projected to record 57,151 births (about 156 births a day) and 95,299 deaths, a natural decrease of 38,148. Net migration adds −5,883 people, ranking #150 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 1,628,026 births, 2,491,771 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −93,784. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −96,360 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 80.5 years56.5 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 74.1 years53.6 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 17.0 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 3.7per 1,000 births · 117 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 4.4per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 29.8 yearssex ratio at birth 106.9
Women in Serbia are projected to live 6.4 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 117 to 3.7 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #194 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 29.8 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Serbia
The median age of 44.7 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.51 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 77.3 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,641,964 | #111 | Largest first |
| Median age | 44.7 years | #25 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.51 | #165 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -0.7% | #214 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 77.3 years | #98 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 23.4% | #20 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Serbia
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45–49 | 481,193 | 7.2% | 236.7K / 244.5K |
| 2 | 50–54 | 468,319 | 7.1% | 227.2K / 241.1K |
| 3 | 40–44 | 467,485 | 7.0% | 230.5K / 236.9K |
| 4 | 70–74 | 458,480 | 6.9% | 198.2K / 260.3K |
| 5 | 65–69 | 443,755 | 6.7% | 199.3K / 244.5K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Serbia has 3,145,728 males and 3,496,236 females. That is 90.0 males per 100 females, ranking #218 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 47.4% of the population and females for 52.6%. There are 350,508 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 69.6 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 106.9 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Serbia has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 6,009,201 in 1950 to 6,641,964 in 2026, a change of 11%. Over the same span, median age moved from 24.5 to 44.7 years.
The under-15 share changed from 27.7% to 14.2%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 6.1% to 23.4%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Serbia’s population is projected to decline by about 17%, reaching 5,532,870 in 2050. The median age changes from 44.7 to 48.4 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 5.7 percentage points to 29.1%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 13.1%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 7,885,358 in 1987. Historical population totals are estimates rather than exact head counts. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 6,009,201 | 24.5 | 2.93 | 55.1 | 153,205 | 90,105 | −5,629 | +1.0% |
| 1960 | 6,702,962 | 27.7 | 2.16 | 65.7 | 124,100 | 59,843 | +4,377 | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 7,324,424 | 31.1 | 1.97 | 69.7 | 113,424 | 64,008 | +1,861 | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 7,796,280 | 32.5 | 1.86 | 71.1 | 114,145 | 77,460 | +287 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 7,874,594 | 35.8 | 1.65 | 72.2 | 90,527 | 83,129 | −16,260 | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 7,694,606 | 39.1 | 1.35 | 72.3 | 71,629 | 99,783 | −14,368 | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 7,395,864 | 41.2 | 1.40 | 74.4 | 69,979 | 103,488 | +3,632 | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 6,907,812 | 43.4 | 1.48 | 74.5 | 62,501 | 114,911 | −10,220 | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 6,773,201 | 43.9 | 1.50 | 76.8 | 59,840 | 93,928 | +4,348 | -0.4% |
| 2024* | 6,736,216 | 44.1 | 1.50 | 76.9 | 58,988 | 95,092 | −8,132 | -0.7% |
| 2026* | 6,641,964 | 44.7 | 1.51 | 77.3 | 57,151 | 95,299 | −5,883 | -0.7% |
| 2030* | 6,461,212 | 45.6 | 1.52 | 78.1 | 54,248 | 95,665 | −4,776 | -0.7% |
| 2040* | 5,987,456 | 47.5 | 1.54 | 79.8 | 49,609 | 93,691 | −3,661 | -0.8% |
| 2050* | 5,532,870 | 48.4 | 1.56 | 81.5 | 46,104 | 86,393 | −2,584 | -0.8% |
| 2060* | 5,115,135 | 49.0 | 1.57 | 83.1 | 40,541 | 79,550 | −2,183 | -0.8% |
| 2070* | 4,706,368 | 49.8 | 1.59 | 84.5 | 36,795 | 74,892 | −1,956 | -0.8% |
| 2080* | 4,328,118 | 50.4 | 1.59 | 85.8 | 34,038 | 67,796 | −1,631 | -0.8% |
| 2090* | 3,998,579 | 50.9 | 1.59 | 87.1 | 30,672 | 60,040 | −1,565 | -0.8% |
| 2100* | 3,701,499 | 51.8 | 1.60 | 88.3 | 27,697 | 54,700 | −1,812 | -0.8% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 152,097 | 143,052 | 295,149 | 4.4% |
| 5–9 | 162,190 | 159,393 | 321,583 | 4.8% |
| 10–14 | 163,881 | 162,706 | 326,587 | 4.9% |
| 15–19 | 165,514 | 164,395 | 329,909 | 5.0% |
| 20–24 | 172,341 | 173,679 | 346,020 | 5.2% |
| 25–29 | 175,535 | 176,407 | 351,942 | 5.3% |
| 30–34 | 198,243 | 198,090 | 396,333 | 6.0% |
| 35–39 | 210,251 | 213,895 | 424,146 | 6.4% |
| 40–44 | 230,546 | 236,939 | 467,485 | 7.0% |
| 45–49 | 236,693 | 244,500 | 481,193 | 7.2% |
| 50–54 | 227,239 | 241,080 | 468,319 | 7.1% |
| 55–59 | 210,560 | 230,970 | 441,530 | 6.6% |
| 60–64 | 203,524 | 235,412 | 438,936 | 6.6% |
| 65–69 | 199,284 | 244,471 | 443,755 | 6.7% |
| 70–74 | 198,222 | 260,258 | 458,480 | 6.9% |
| 75–79 | 134,464 | 199,320 | 333,784 | 5.0% |
| 80–84 | 59,449 | 104,216 | 163,665 | 2.5% |
| 85–89 | 33,256 | 71,439 | 104,695 | 1.6% |
| 90–94 | 10,672 | 29,092 | 39,764 | 0.6% |
| 95–99 | 1,625 | 5,824 | 7,449 | 0.1% |
| 100+ | 144 | 1,098 | 1,242 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Serbia’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Croatia97% overlap · median age 45.5
- Slovenia97% overlap · median age 45.0
- Bulgaria96% overlap · median age 45.0
- Hungary96% overlap · median age 44.2
- Liechtenstein96% overlap · median age 44.7
- Bosnia and Herzegovina96% overlap · median age 46.1
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Serbia.
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World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Serbia Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/serbia/
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“Serbia Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/serbia/.
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World Population Pyramid. “Serbia Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/serbia/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Serbia in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Serbia's population in 2026 is projected at 6,641,964.
What is the median age in Serbia?
The projected median age in Serbia in 2026 is 44.7 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Serbia?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.51 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Serbia's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 17%, from 6.6M to 5.5M.
What share of Serbia is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 23.4% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 29.1%.
How many babies are born in Serbia each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 57,151 births and 95,299 deaths in 2026, about 156 births a day. Deaths exceed births by 38,148.
What is life expectancy in Serbia for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 80.5 years for women and 74.1 years for men, a gap of 6.4 years in favour of women.
Does Serbia have more immigrants or emigrants?
Serbia is projected to lose about 5,883 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −93,784.
What is the sex ratio in Serbia?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 90.0 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.