Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)’s diaspora makes up almost 60 percent of the country’s population.
This is according to data made available by BiH’s Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees which estimates that around 2.2 million people of BiH origin live abroad, out of a total population of
Recorded remittances from the country’s diaspora brings in more than 3 billion BAM each year, even though informal channels such as spending during holidays, investment and entrepreneurship also add up to BiH’s economic growth.
Foreign direct investments amounted to 1 billion and 442 million BAM in the period January-September 2023, representing an increase of 23.9% compared to the same period of the previous year when foreign direct investments amounted to one billion and 164 million BAM, explains the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA), and reported by the Sarajevo Times.
Armin Alijagic, president of the Association Nasa perspektiva (Our Perspective in English), an organisation that has been working exclusively on involving the diaspora in the economic development of BiH for the last 15 years also stated that the diaspora’s direct or indirect investments account for one-third of BiH’s gross national product.
Armin who has lived abroad for over a decade acknowledged that the “BiH diaspora is huge.”
Source: Sarajevo Times
Edited by: Theresa R. Fianko