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Photos of Montenegro

A view of the countryside around Podgorica.

Introduction

Background

The use of the name Crna Gora or Black Mountain (Montenegro) began in the 13th century in reference to a highland region in the Serbian province of Zeta. Under Ottoman control beginning in 1496, Montenegro was a semi-autonomous theocracy ruled by a series of bishop princes until 1852, when it became a secular principality. Montenegro fought a series of wars with the Ottomans and eventually won recognition as an independent sovereign principality at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. In 1918, the country was absorbed by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. At the end of World War II, Montenegro joined the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). When the SFRY dissolved in 1992, Montenegro and Serbia created the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), which shifted in 2003 to a looser State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Montenegro voted to restore its independence on 3 June 2006. Montenegro became an official EU candidate in 2010 and joined NATO in 2017.

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Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Geography

Location

Southeastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia

Geographic coordinates

42 30 N, 19 18 E

Area

total : 13,812 sq km

land: 13,452 sq km

water: 360 sq km

comparison ranking: total 161

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Connecticut; slightly larger than twice the size of Delaware

Area comparison map:
Area comparison map

Land boundaries

total: 680 km

border countries (5): Albania 186 km; Bosnia and Herzegovina 242 km; Croatia 19 km; Kosovo 76 km; Serbia 157 km

Coastline

293.5 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

continental shelf: defined by treaty

Climate

Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland

Terrain

highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus

Elevation

highest point: Zia Kolata 2,534 m

lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m

mean elevation: 1,086 m

Natural resources

bauxite, hydroelectricity

Land use

agricultural land: 38.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 12.9% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.2% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 24.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 40.4% (2018 est.)

other: 21.4% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

24 sq km (2012)

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s): Lake Scutari (shared with Albania) - 400 sq km
note - largest lake in the Balkans

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Population distribution

highest population density is concentrated in the south, southwest; the extreme eastern border is the least populated area

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes

Geography - note

strategic location along the Adriatic coast

People and Society

Population

total: 599,849

male: 294,482

female: 305,367 (2024 est.)

comparison rankings: female 172; male 172; total 172

Nationality

noun: Montenegrin(s)

adjective: Montenegrin

Ethnic groups

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.)

Languages

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.

Serbian audio sample:
Montenegrin/Bosnian audio sample:

Religions

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

Age structure

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)

2023 population pyramid:
2023 population pyramid

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 52.5

youth dependency ratio: 27.7

elderly dependency ratio: 24.8

potential support ratio: 4 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 41.1 years (2024 est.)

male: 39.5 years

female: 42.5 years

comparison ranking: total 54

Population growth rate

-0.44% (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 219

Birth rate

10.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 165

Death rate

10.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 31

Net migration rate

-5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 203

Population distribution

highest population density is concentrated in the south, southwest; the extreme eastern border is the least populated area

Urbanization

urban population: 68.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030File Icon

Major urban areas - population

177,000 PODGORICA (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

26.3 years (2010 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

6 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

comparison ranking: 161

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births

comparison ranking: total 202

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.2 years (2024 est.)

male: 75.8 years

female: 80.7 years

comparison ranking: total population 82

Total fertility rate

1.8 children born/woman (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 141

Gross reproduction rate

0.89 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 98.2% of population

total: 99.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 1.8% of population

total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

11.4% of GDP (2020)

Physician density

2.74 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density

3.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 93.9% of population

total: 98% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 6.1% of population

total: 2% of population (2020 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: intermediate (2023)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.3% (2016)

comparison ranking: 66

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 9.91 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 3.83 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 2.68 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 3.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

comparison ranking: total 23

Tobacco use

total: 31.4% (2020 est.)

male: 31.6% (2020 est.)

female: 31.1% (2020 est.)

comparison ranking: total 26

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.7% (2018/19)

comparison ranking: 82

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 1.9%

women married by age 18: 5.8%

men married by age 18: 3.2% (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99%

male: 99.4%

female: 98.5% (2021)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 16 years (2021)

Environment

Environment - current issues

pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor; serious air pollution in Podgorica, Pljevlja and Niksie; air pollution in Pljevlja is caused by the nearby lignite power plant and the domestic use of coal and wood for household heating

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Climate

Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland

Land use

agricultural land: 38.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 12.9% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.2% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 24.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 40.4% (2018 est.)

other: 21.4% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 68.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030File Icon

Revenue from forest resources

0.43% of GDP (2018 est.)

comparison ranking: 70

Revenue from coal

0.12% of GDP (2018 est.)

comparison ranking: 25

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 19.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 2.02 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 0.75 megatons (2020 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 332,000 tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 17,994 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 5.4% (2015 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s): Lake Scutari (shared with Albania) - 400 sq km
note - largest lake in the Balkans

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial: 60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural: 1.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Government

Country name

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Montenegro

local long form: none

local short form: Crna Gora

former: People's Republic of Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Montenegro, Republic of Montenegro

etymology: the country's name locally as well as in most Western European languages means "black mountain" and refers to the dark coniferous forests on Mount Lovcen and the surrounding area

Government type

parliamentary republic

Capital

name: Podgorica; note - Cetinje retains the status of "Old Royal Capital"

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 name translates as "beneath Gorica"; the meaning of Gorica is "hillock"; the reference is to the small hill named Gorica that the city is built around

Administrative divisions

25 municipalities (opstine, singular - opstina); Andrijevica, Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Gusinje, Herceg Novi, Kolasin, Kotor, Mojkovac, Niksic, Petnjica, Plav, Pljevlja, Pluzine, Podgorica, Rozaje, Savnik, Tivat, Tuzi, Ulcinj, Zabljak, Zeta

Independence

3 June 2006 (from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro); notable earlier dates: 13 March 1852 (Principality of Montenegro established); 13 July 1878 (Congress of Berlin recognizes Montenegrin independence); 28 August 1910 (Kingdom of Montenegro established)

National holiday

Statehood Day, 13 July (1878, the day the Berlin Congress recognized Montenegro as the 27th independent state in the world, and 1941, the day the Montenegrins staged an uprising against fascist occupiers and sided with the partisan communist movement)

Legal system

civil law

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 22 October 2007

amendments: 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; amended 2013

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Montenegro

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Jakov MILATOVIC (since 20 May 2023)

head of government: Prime Minister Milojko SPAJIC (since 31 October 2023)

cabinet: ministers act as cabinet

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 19 March 2023 with a runoff on 2 April 2023 (next to be held in 2028); prime minister nominated by the president, approved by the Assembly

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%

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Assembly or Skupstina (81 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

elections: last held on 11 June 2023 (next to be held in June 2027)

election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - Europe Now! 25.5%, Together! 23.2%, For the Future of Montenegro 14.7%, Aleksa and Dritan - Count Bravely 12.5%, BP 7.1%, SNP-DEMOS 3.1%, Albanian Forum 1.9%, HGI 0.7%; seats by party/coalition Europe Now! 24, Together! 21, For the Future of Montenegro 13, Aleksa and Dritan - Count Bravely 11, BP 6, SNP-DEMOS 2, Albanian Forum 2, Albanian Alliance 1, HGI 1; composition - men 59, women 22, percentage women 27.2%

Judicial branch

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

Political parties

Albanian Alliance (electoral coalition includes FORCA, PD, DSCG)
Albanian Alternative or AA
Albanian Democratic League or LDSH
Albanian Forum (electoral coalition includes AA, LDSH, UDSH)
Aleksa and Dritan - Count Bravely! (electoral coalition includes Democrats, URA)
Bosniak Party or BS 
Civic Movement United Reform Action or United Reform Action or URA 
Croatian Civic Initiative or HGI 
Democratic Alliance or DEMOS 
Democratic League in Montenegro or DSCG
Democratic Montenegro or Democrats
Democratic Party of Socialists or DPS 
Democratic People's Party or DNP 
Democratic Union of Albanians or UDSH
Europe Now!
For the Future of Montenegro or ZBCG (coalition includes NSD, DNP, RP)
Liberal Party or LP 
New Democratic Power or FORCA
New Serb Democracy or NSD or NOVA 
Social Democrats or SD
Socialist People's Party or SNP 
Together! (electoral coalition includes DPS, SD, LP, UDSH)
United Montenegro or UCG (split from DEMOS)
Workers' Party or RP 

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Linda CAMAJ (since 7 December 2023)

chancery: 1610 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20009

telephone: [1] (202) 234-6108

FAX: [1] (202) 234-6109

email address and website:
[email protected]

United States of America - Embassies and consulates of Montenegro and visa regimes for foreign citizens (www.gov.me)

consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Judy Rising REINKE (since 20 December 2018)

embassy: Dzona Dzeksona 2, 81000 Podgorica

mailing address: 5570 Podgorica Place, Washington DC  20521-5570

telephone: [382] (0) 20-410-500

FAX: [382]  (0) 20-241-358

email address and website:
[email protected]

https://me.usembassy.gov/

Flag description

a red field bordered by a narrow golden-yellow stripe with the Montenegrin coat of arms centered; the arms consist of a double-headed golden eagle - symbolizing the unity of church and state - surmounted by a crown; the eagle holds a golden scepter in its right claw and a blue orb in its left; the breast shield over the eagle shows a golden lion passant on a green field in front of a blue sky; the lion is a symbol of episcopal authority and harkens back to the three and a half centuries when Montenegro was ruled as a theocracy

National symbol(s)

double-headed eagle; national colors: red, gold

National anthem

name: "Oj, svijetla majska zoro" (Oh, Bright Dawn of May)

lyrics/music: Sekula DRLJEVIC/unknown, arranged by Zarko MIKOVIC

note: adopted 2004; music based on a Montenegrin folk song

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 4 (3 cultural, 1 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor (c); Durmitor National Park (n); Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards (c); Fortified City of Kotor Venetian Defense Works (c)

Economy

Economic overview

upper middle-income, small Balkan economy; uses euro as de facto currency; strong growth driven by tourism and consumption; new impetus for EU accession under Europe Now government; influx of affluent migrants from Russia and Ukraine; progress in fiscal position subject to risks from pension costs, debt service, and informal sector

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$17.115 billion (2023 est.)
$16.149 billion (2022 est.)
$15.177 billion (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

comparison ranking: 158

Real GDP growth rate

5.98% (2023 est.)
6.41% (2022 est.)
13.04% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

comparison ranking: 33

Real GDP per capita

$27,800 (2023 est.)
$26,200 (2022 est.)
$24,500 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

comparison ranking: 82

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.405 billion (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.58% (2023 est.)
13.04% (2022 est.)
2.41% (2021 est.)

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

comparison ranking: 161

Credit ratings

Moody's rating: B1 (2016)

Standard & Poors rating: B+ (2014)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 7.5% (2016 est.)

industry: 15.9% (2016 est.)

services: 76.6% (2016 est.)

comparison rankings: services 42; industry 175; agriculture 104

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 76.8% (2016 est.)

government consumption: 19.6% (2016 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 23.2% (2016 est.)

investment in inventories: 2.9% (2016 est.)

exports of goods and services: 40.5% (2016 est.)

imports of goods and services: -63% (2016 est.)

Agricultural products

milk, potatoes, grapes, watermelons, sheep milk, cabbages, oranges, eggs, goat milk, figs (2022)

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries

steelmaking, aluminum, agricultural processing, consumer goods, tourism

Industrial production growth rate

3.34% (2023 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

comparison ranking: 99

Labor force

286,000 (2023 est.)

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

comparison ranking: 169

Unemployment rate

15.25% (2023 est.)
15.29% (2022 est.)
16.54% (2021 est.)

note: % of labor force seeking employment

comparison ranking: 191

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 27.9% (2023 est.)

male: 29% (2023 est.)

female: 26.3% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

comparison ranking: total 33

Population below poverty line

21.2% (2020 est.)

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

34.3 (2021 est.)

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

comparison ranking: 83

Average household expenditures

on food: 27.2% of household expenditures (2021 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco: 5.1% of household expenditures (2021 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.1% (2021 est.)

highest 10%: 24.7% (2021 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Remittances

10.87% of GDP (2023 est.)
13.33% of GDP (2022 est.)
13.52% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Budget

revenues: $2.051 billion (2020 est.)

expenditures: $2.568 billion (2020 est.)

Public debt

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

comparison ranking: 60

Taxes and other revenues

37.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

comparison ranking: 14

Current account balance

-$841.765 million (2023 est.)
-$817.858 million (2022 est.)
-$541.201 million (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

comparison ranking: 135

Exports

$3.775 billion (2023 est.)
$3.178 billion (2022 est.)
$2.502 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

comparison ranking: 148

Exports - partners

South Korea 24%, Serbia 12%, Italy 9%, Switzerland 9%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 7% (2022)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Exports - commodities

copper ore, electricity, aluminum, aluminum ore, packaged medicine (2022)

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports

$5.163 billion (2023 est.)
$4.614 billion (2022 est.)
$3.637 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

comparison ranking: 149

Imports - partners

Serbia 24%, China 8%, Italy 8%, Croatia 7%, Greece 7% (2022)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Imports - commodities

electricity, refined petroleum, aluminum, cars, garments (2022)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.574 billion (2023 est.)
$2.041 billion (2022 est.)
$1.982 billion (2021 est.)

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

comparison ranking: 127

Debt - external

$2.516 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.224 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

comparison ranking: 148

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
0.925 (2023 est.)
0.951 (2022 est.)
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.877 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)

note: Montenegro, which is neither an EU member state nor a party to a formal EU monetary agreement, uses the euro as its de facto currency

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 1.066 million kW (2022 est.)

consumption: 2.963 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports: 8.326 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports: 8.467 billion kWh (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 507.151 million kWh (2022 est.)

comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 79; imports 30; exports 28; consumption 140; installed generating capacity 136

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 47% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind: 9.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity: 43.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal

production: 1.734 million metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption: 1.517 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports: 234,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports: 2.8 metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves: 337 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 8,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

2.566 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 1.401 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 1.165 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

comparison ranking: total emissions 151

Energy consumption per capita

59.174 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

comparison ranking: 82

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 191,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 30 (2022 est.)

comparison ranking: total subscriptions 119

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 1.274 million (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 203 (2022 est.)

comparison ranking: total subscriptions 161

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: a small telecom market supported by a population of only 623,000; fixed broadband services are available via a variety of technology platforms, though fiber is the dominant platform, accounting for almost 40% of connections; the growth of fiber has largely been at the expense of DSL as customers are migrated to fiber networks as these are built out progressively; mobile penetration is particularly high, though this is partly due to the significant number of tourists visiting the country seasonally, as also to the popularity of subscribers having multiple prepaid cards; in the wake of the pandemic and associated restrictions on travel, the number of mobile subscribers fell in 2020, as also in the first quarter of 2021, year-on-year; networks support a vibrant mobile broadband services sector, largely based on LTE; two of the MNOs began trialing 5G in May 2021, though commercial services will not gain traction until after the multi-spectrum auction is completed at the end of 2021; spectrum is available in the 694-790MHz and 3400-3800MHz ranges, as well as in the 26.5-27.5GHz range (2021)

domestic: fixed-line over 30 per 100 and mobile-cellular 178 per 100 persons (2021)

international: country code - 382; 2 international switches connect the national system

Broadcast media

state-funded national radio-TV broadcaster operates 2 terrestrial TV networks, 1 satellite TV channel, and 2 radio networks; 4 local public TV stations and 14 private TV stations; 14 local public radio stations, 35 private radio stations, and several on-line media (2019)

Internet users

total: 516,600 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 82% (2021 est.)

comparison ranking: total 166

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 184,176 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2020 est.)

comparison ranking: total 121

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 565,522 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 130,000 (2018) mt-km

Airports

5 (2024)

comparison ranking: 177

Heliports

1 (2024)

Railways

total: 250 km (2017)

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

comparison ranking: total 126

Roadways

total: 9,825 km (2022)

comparison ranking: total 137

Merchant marine

total: 18 (2023)

by type: bulk carrier 4, other 14

comparison ranking: total 148

Ports

total ports: 4 (2024)

large: 0

medium: 0

small: 1

very small: 3

ports with oil terminals: 1

key ports: Bar, Kotor, Risan, Tivat

Military and Security

Military and security forces

Army of Montenegro (Vojska Crne Gore or VCG): Ground Forces (Kopnene snage), Air Force (Vazduhoplovstvo), Navy (Mornarica) (2024)

note: the National Police Force, which includes Border Police, is responsible for maintaining internal security; it is organized under the Police Administration within the Ministry of Interior and reports to the police director and, through the director, to the minister of interior and prime minister

Military expenditures

2% of GDP (2024 est.)
1.6% of GDP (2023)
1.4% of GDP (2022)
1.6% of GDP (2021)
1.7% of GDP (2020)

comparison ranking: 70

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 1,600 active-duty troops (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory is small and consists largely of Soviet-era equipment inherited from the former Yugoslavia military, along with a limited but growing mix of imported Western systems (2024)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2006 (2024)

note: as of 2024, women made up over 11% of the military's full-time personnel

Military - note

the Army of Montenegro is a small, lightly armed military focused on 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 (2024)

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 65,105 (Ukraine) (as of 29 January 2024)

stateless persons: 468 (2022)

note: 34,511 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-March 2024)

Illicit drugs

drug trafficking groups are major players in the procurement and transportation of of large quantities of cocaine destined for European markets