# Kosovo and Serbia compared

Kosovo and Serbia side by side: 24 shared sourced indicators across 9 domains, and the 18 events their chronicles record of each other.

Canonical: https://terralore.co/compare/kos-vs-srb
Updated: 2026-08-10 (latest of the two dossiers' refreshes and the two chronicles' verification dates)

Two sourced records set beside each other — nothing on this page was written for the pair. Every figure is the same observation, with the same source, as on the two national dossiers; every event is the same record, with the same sources, as on its own chronicle. Figures are compared, never graded. A "—" is an absence in the source data, never a zero; each value shows its own observation year — vintages differ by indicator and nation.

## Formation

- Kosovo: 17 February 2008 — Kosovo declares independence from Serbia
- Serbia: 1166 — Stefan Nemanja founds the dynasty that becomes the Serbian state

## Economy

| Metric | Kosovo | Observed | Serbia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP | $11 B | 2024 | $90 B | 2024 |
| GDP per capita | $7,023 | 2024 | $13,679 | 2024 |
| GDP growth | 4.6% | 2024 | 3.9% | 2024 |
| Inflation | 1.6% | 2024 | 4.7% | 2024 |
| Trade openness | 113.8% | 2024 | 111.7% | 2024 |

## Society

| Metric | Kosovo | Observed | Serbia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1.6 m | 2024 | 6.6 m | 2024 |
| Life expectancy | 78.2 yrs | 2024 | 76.0 yrs | 2024 |
| Urban population | 50.3% | 2024 | 62.4% | 2024 |
| Fertility rate | 1.5 | 2024 | 1.6 | 2024 |

## Governance

| Metric | Kosovo | Observed | Serbia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice & accountability | 59.6 | 2024 | 48.7 | 2024 |
| Political stability | 60.4 | 2024 | 63.0 | 2024 |
| Government effectiveness | 50.1 | 2024 | 53.3 | 2024 |
| Regulatory quality | 51.3 | 2024 | 56.1 | 2024 |
| Rule of law | 57.9 | 2024 | 53.5 | 2024 |
| Control of corruption | 42.7 | 2024 | 36.5 | 2024 |

## Health

| Metric | Kosovo | Observed | Serbia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under-5 mortality | 8.7 | 2024 | 5.4 | 2024 |
| Health spending | — | — | 8.0% | 2023 |
| Physicians | — | — | 3.10 | 2022 |
| Measles immunisation | — | — | 84.0% | 2024 |
| Safe drinking water | — | — | 75.0% | 2024 |

## Education

| Metric | Kosovo | Observed | Serbia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult literacy | — | — | 99.3% | 2022 |
| Education spending | — | — | 3.4% | 2023 |
| Primary enrolment | — | — | 96.0% | 2024 |
| Secondary enrolment | — | — | 89.8% | 2024 |
| Tertiary enrolment | — | — | 70.6% | 2024 |

## Technology

| Metric | Kosovo | Observed | Serbia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet users | 89.4% | 2018 | 87.7% | 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions | 35 | 2022 | 124 | 2024 |
| R&D spending | — | — | 0.9% | 2024 |
| Researchers (per million) | — | — | 2,688 | 2024 |
| High-tech exports | — | — | 4.5% | 2007 |

## Geography

| Metric | Kosovo | Observed | Serbia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land area | — | — | 84,090 km² | 2023 |
| Forest area | — | — | 32.4% | 2023 |
| Agricultural land | — | — | 40.4% | 2023 |
| Renewable energy | — | — | 27.2% | 2021 |

## Resources

| Metric | Kosovo | Observed | Serbia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resource rents | 0.9% | 2021 | 1.7% | 2021 |
| Oil rents | 0.0% | 2021 | 0.4% | 2021 |
| Mineral rents | 0.5% | 2021 | 0.7% | 2021 |
| Forest rents | 0.0% | 2021 | 0.3% | 2021 |
| Electricity access | — | — | 100.0% | 2023 |

## Military

| Metric | Kosovo | Observed | Serbia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military burden | 1.5% | 2024 | 2.6% | 2024 |
| Defense spending | $166 M | 2024 | $2.3 B | 2024 |
| Armed forces | — | — | 32,000 | 2020 |

Each metric is also ranked across all nations: https://terralore.co/rankings (markdown twins at /rankings/<metric>.md). Full dossiers: https://terralore.co/country/KOS.md and https://terralore.co/country/SRB.md.

## Entangled histories (18 events)

Events in which either nation's sourced chronicle names the other — including under earlier names of the same state. Each is the record exactly as its own chronicle carries it, with that chronicle's sources.

- from 1346: **Patriarchate of Peć** — Elevated under Dušan, the patriarchate of Peć became the spiritual heart of the Serbs; its medieval churches in Kosovo survive as UNESCO World Heritage monuments of the Serbian Orthodox tradition. (from the Serbia chronicle; sources: Medieval Monuments in Kosovo)
- 28 Jun 1389: **The Battle of Kosovo** — At Kosovo Polje, the Field of Blackbirds, the Serbian prince Lazar and his allies fought the Ottoman sultan Murad I; both rulers died and the Ottoman victory led to the eventual subjugation of Serbia. (from the Kosovo chronicle; sources: Battle of Kosovo (1389); The Battle of Kosovo, 1389)
- 28 Jun 1389: **The Battle of Kosovo** — On the Field of Blackbirds the army of Prince Lazar fought the Ottoman sultan Murad I; both leaders were killed and Serbian resistance was broken, making Kosovo the central event of national memory. (from the Serbia chronicle; sources: Battle of Kosovo (1389))
- mid-15th c.: **Ottoman conquest completed** — By the mid-15th century the Ottomans had established direct rule over all of Serbia, including Kosovo, ending the medieval Serbian state in the region. (from the Kosovo chronicle; sources: Kosovo: History)
- 1912–13: **Balkan Wars bring Kosovo into Serbia** — The Balkan Wars ended Ottoman rule, and Kosovo was incorporated into the Kingdom of Serbia, later part of the Yugoslav state. (from the Kosovo chronicle; sources: Kosovo: History)
- 1912–1913: **The Balkan Wars** — Serbia drove the Ottomans from most of their European lands and, after the Second Balkan War, gained Kosovo, Metohija and much of Macedonia, nearly doubling its territory and alarming Austria-Hungary. (from the Serbia chronicle; sources: Serbia: History)
- 1974: **Autonomy for Vojvodina and Kosovo** — The federal constitution of 1974 granted wide autonomy to the Serbian provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo, a settlement resented by many Serbs that would ignite conflict after Tito's death. (from the Serbia chronicle; sources: Serbia: History)
- 1974: **Wide autonomy under the Yugoslav constitution** — The 1974 Yugoslav constitution gave Kosovo broad self-government as an autonomous province within Serbia, with its own assembly, courts and a veto, making it nearly a republic in practice. (from the Kosovo chronicle; sources: Kosovo: Government and society (autonomy and the 1974 constitution))
- 1989: **Milošević curtails Kosovo's autonomy** — Riding a wave of Serbian nationalism, Slobodan Milošević revoked the autonomy of Kosovo and Vojvodina, deepening the crisis that would break Yugoslavia apart. (from the Serbia chronicle; sources: Slobodan Milošević; Serbia: The Ten Years' War)
- 24 Mar – Jun 1999: **Kosovo War and NATO bombing** — After fighting between Yugoslav forces and the Kosovo Liberation Army and the displacement of Albanian civilians, NATO bombed Yugoslavia for some eleven weeks until Milošević agreed to withdraw from Kosovo. (from the Serbia chronicle; sources: Kosovo conflict)
- 10 Jun 1999: **UN Security Council Resolution 1244** — The Security Council placed Kosovo under an international civil (UNMIK) and security presence, granting substantial autonomy while reaffirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia. (from the Serbia chronicle; sources: United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999))
- 17 Feb 2008: **Declaration of independence** — The Assembly of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in Pristina, proclaiming the Republic of Kosovo; the United States recognised it the next day, followed by many other states. (from the Kosovo chronicle; sources: Kosovo: Self-declared independence; Kosovo (US recognition, 18 February 2008; diplomatic history))
- 17 Feb 2008: **Kosovo declares independence** — Kosovo's assembly declared independence from Serbia, a step recognised by many Western states but rejected by Serbia, which continues to regard Kosovo as its autonomous province. (from the Serbia chronicle; sources: Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo — Advisory Opinion of 22 July 2010; Kosovo conflict)
- 22 Jul 2010: **ICJ advisory opinion on Kosovo** — The International Court of Justice found that Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence did not violate international law; Serbia continued nonetheless to withhold recognition. (from the Serbia chronicle; sources: Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo — Advisory Opinion of 22 July 2010)
- 19 Apr 2013: **Brussels Agreement** — In the EU-facilitated dialogue, Belgrade and Pristina reached the First Agreement of Principles, integrating Serb-majority northern Kosovo into Kosovo's institutions without constituting Serbian recognition. (from the Serbia chronicle; sources: Belgrade–Pristina Dialogue: Agreement on the path to normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia)
- Feb–Mar 2023: **Agreement on the Path to Normalisation (Ohrid)** — Serbia and Kosovo agreed to develop normal relations and recognise each other's documents and symbols, with an implementation annex agreed at Ohrid, while leaving the question of status unresolved. (from the Serbia chronicle; sources: Belgrade–Pristina Dialogue: Agreement on the path to normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia)
- 2023: **Ohrid agreement on normalisation** — At Ohrid the parties reached an EU-facilitated Agreement on the Path to Normalisation, committing to good-neighbourly relations and mutual recognition of documents and symbols, though Serbia did not recognise Kosovo's statehood. (from the Kosovo chronicle; sources: Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue: Implementation Annex to the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation (Ohrid, 18 March 2023); Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue: press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell after the Ohrid meeting)
- Present: **An unresolved status** — Recognised by around a hundred states but not by Serbia, Russia, China or several EU members, Kosovo remains outside the UN, with the Serb-majority north around Mitrovica its most contested question. (from the Kosovo chronicle; sources: Kosovo: Self-declared independence; Kosovo (US recognition, 18 February 2008; diplomatic history))

## Sources

- World Development Indicators — World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-14 · https://data.worldbank.org
- Worldwide Governance Indicators (via World Bank API) — Worldwide Governance Indicators / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators
- Child mortality & immunisation estimates (UN IGME and WHO/UNICEF, via World Bank WDI) — UNICEF and WHO / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://childmortality.org
- ICT indicators (ITU, via World Bank WDI) — ITU / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-15 · https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics
- Military Expenditure Database (via World Development Indicators) — SIPRI / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-14 · https://www.sipri.org/databases/milex
- Global Health Observatory (WHO, via World Bank WDI) — WHO / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.who.int/data/gho
- R&D statistics (UNESCO UIS, via World Bank WDI) — UNESCO Institute for Statistics / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-15 · https://uis.unesco.org

Chronicle references are cited inline above and resolve in full at https://terralore.co/country/KOS/chronicle.md and https://terralore.co/country/SRB/chronicle.md.

Citation template: Terralore, "Kosovo and Serbia compared", terralore.co/compare/kos-vs-srb, retrieved <YYYY-MM-DD>.