Belarus Demographics

What is the population of Belarus?

Population 9,477,918
Population Growth Rate -0.18%
Urban Population 75%
Population in Major Urban Areas MINSK (capital) 1.861 million
Nationality Noun Belarusian(s)
Nationality Adjective Belarusian
Ethnic Groups Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish, Ukrainian, and other 7.4%
Languages Spoken Belarusian, Russian, other

Belarus Health Information

What are the health conditions in Belarus?

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 15-49 72.6%
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 13.68
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved 99%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved 0.4%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved 99.8%
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP 5.3%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 0.3%
HIV/Aids Deaths 1,200
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population 11.1
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births 3.22
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births 4.1
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births 3.67
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births 4
Mean Age for Mother's First Birth 24.9
Obesity - adult prevalence rate 24.3%
People Living with HIV/AIDS 17,000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population 3.76
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved 5.7%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved 94%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved 95.3%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman 1.46
Underweight - percent of children under five years 1.3%

Belarus Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Belarus?

Life Expectancy at Birth 71 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female 77 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male 66 Years
Median Age 39 Years
Median Age - female 42 Years
Median Age - male 36 Years

Belarus Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Belarus median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population 11
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 13.68
Median Age 39 Years
Median Age - female 42 Years
Median Age - male 36 Years
Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population .85
Population Growth Rate -0.18%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female 1.06
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female 1.06
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female .96
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female .87
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female 1.06
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female .87
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female .46

Belarus Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Belarus?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Medical care in Belarus is neither modern nor easily accessible, especially for those who do not speak Russian. There are no hospitals in Belarus that provide a level of medical care equal to that of Western hospitals, and none accept U.S. health insurance plans for payment. Despite the recent emergence of facilities that offer private "advanced" medical services, modern diagnostic equipment and even basic supplies are still lacking. Traumatic injuries are especially serious as the level of care and competence to deal with them are well below U.S. standards.

Ambulances are poorly equipped and unreliable; a wait time of 30 minutes or more is not unusual. The fastest way to secure Western-level care is medical evacuation to Western Europe. You should consider purchasing medical evacuation insurance prior to travel, or have access to substantial credit to cover evacuation costs. There are no air ambulance services in Belarus. Local health insurance for non-residents is required for all visitors by the government and may be purchased at points of entry.

The medical emergency number for Belarus is 103 from any telephone.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an increasingly serious health concern in Belarus

Belarus Education

What is school like in Belarus?

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP 5.1%
Literacy - female 99.5%
Literacy - male 99.8%
Literacy - total population 99.6%
Literacy Definition Age 15 and over can read and write
School Life Expectancy - female 16 Years
School Life Expectancy - male 15 Years
Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary) 16 Years

Belarus Literacy

Can people in Belarus read?

Literacy - female 99.5%
Literacy - male 99.8%
Literacy - total population 99.6%
Literacy Definition Age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language Belarusian, Russian, other

Belarus Crime

Is Belarus a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

Belarus has a moderate rate of street crime. Criminal activity in Minsk is comparable to the level found in other large cities, while in the rural areas it is very limited. Though violent crime against foreigners is rare, criminals have been known to use force if met with resistance from victims. Common street crime, such as mugging and pocket-picking, occurs most frequently near public transportation venues, near hotels frequented by foreigners, and/or at night in poorly-lighted areas. In Minsk, you should be especially alert at metro and bus stations.

Visiting nightclubs, you should pay particular attention to your surroundings and drinks; the drugging of drinks is not uncommon. Prostitutes at hotels may attempt to open hotel room doors in search of customers. Local and transnational organized criminal activity also exists in Belarus. Most casinos and adult clubs are operated by criminal elements, but street-level organized criminal violence is rare and does not generally affect foreigners. Carjacking is also rare, but theft of vehicle parts and car vandalism is not. Sport-utility and luxury vehicles tend to be the most sought-after. Parking in a secure area overnight is highly recommended.

Sexual assaults on women are as commonplace in Minsk as they are in most large urban areas in the United States. Women are advised to exercise the same caution as they would in any large city in the United States.

Keep a copy of your passport in a separate location from your original passport.

Internet-Dating Schemes and Cyber-Crime: "Internet brides" are advertised on several websites and are not always legitimate. Often, potential suitors in the United States lose thousands of dollars when they send money to people they have never met and never hear from again. A growing variant on this theme is the suitor invited to Belarus to visit a “friend,” who arranges lodging and transportation for him (at hugely inflated prices) and disappears when the money has changed hands.

Cybercrime of all kinds is well developed in Belarus. Merchandise orders with fraudulent credit cards, ID theft, hacking/blackmail schemes, and advance fee fraud are gaining in popularity. If you are doing business with persons or firms in Belarus electronically, you should proceed with extreme caution. You should avoid using credit and debit cards, except at ATMs located inside major banks. Not only is electronic fraud common at ATMs and grocery stores, but serious injuries have also been inflicted during assaults at street-side ATMs. Please note that transferring funds from abroad, replacing stolen traveler's checks or airline tickets, or canceling credit cards can be difficult and time-consuming, especially due to the lack of English-speaking tourist agencies and an undeveloped tourism industry in Belarus.

In many countries around the world, counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available. Transactions involving such products may be illegal under local law. In addition, bringing them back to the United States may result in forfeitures and/or fines.

The local equivalents to the “911” emergency lines in Belarus are 101 for Fire and Rescue Squad; 102 for Police; and 103 for Ambulance (Medical Emergency).

Belarus police organizations are well trained and professional but severely restricted by an un-reformed Soviet-era legal system, corruption, and politicization of the police force and other government authorities. Due to low salaries, it is not uncommon for officers to collect bribes during traffic stops. Sophisticated criminal investigations are often inconclusive because of a lack of resources and/or political will.

Some U.S. citizens have reported harassment at border crossings. Despite these problems, the Regional Security Officer recommends that you report any crimes immediately to the local police and the U.S. Embassy in Minsk.

Belarus Population Comparison

All Countries
Afghanistan Akrotiri Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dhekelia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia, The Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sudan, South Suriname Svalbard Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States (US) Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe