Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
North Macedonia fits inside Serbia 3.3 times.
North Macedonia: 25,710 km² (2023) · Serbia: 84,990 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
North Macedonia: 0 km (2026 edition) · Serbia: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
North Macedonia’s highest peak towers 595 m above Serbia’s.
North Macedonia: 2,764 m (2026 edition) · Serbia: 2,169 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Serbia has 3.6 times as many people as North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 1.82 million (2025) · Serbia: 6.55 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Serbia is 8% more densely populated than North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 72 per km² (2025) · Serbia: 78 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Serbia are 4.3 cm taller than in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 176.4 cm (2019) · Serbia: 180.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Serbia are 7.4 cm taller than in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 160.9 cm (2019) · Serbia: 168.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Serbia is 3.6 years older than in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 40.3 years (2023) · Serbia: 43.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Serbia have 0.2 more children on average than in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 1.4 children per woman (2024) · Serbia: 1.64 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in Serbia are 65 or older, versus 19% in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 18.5% (2025) · Serbia: 23.1% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
North Macedonia has produced 5.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Serbia 0.0.
North Macedonia: 5.5 (2025) · Serbia: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
North Macedonia and Serbia are practically level.
North Macedonia: 1 (2026) · Serbia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Serbia’s economy is 5.2 times the size of North Macedonia’s.
North Macedonia: $19.1 billion (2025) · Serbia: $100 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Serbia produces 21% more per person than North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: Int$28,029 (2025) · Serbia: Int$33,910 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in North Macedonia than in Serbia (Gini 0.7 points higher).
North Macedonia: 33.5 (2019) · Serbia: 32.8 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 12% in North Macedonia, versus 7.1% in Serbia.
North Macedonia: 12.3% (2025) · Serbia: 7.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Serbia and North Macedonia are practically level.
North Macedonia: 2.1% (2024) · Serbia: 2.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Serbia’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× North Macedonia’s.
North Macedonia: 37% (2025) · Serbia: 45% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Serbia spends 54% more on health per person than North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: $639 (2023) · Serbia: $984 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in North Macedonia live 0.65 years longer than in Serbia.
North Macedonia: 76.6 years (2024) · Serbia: 76 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Serbia is 84% more likely to die before turning one than in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 2.5 per 1,000 (2024) · Serbia: 4.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Serbia has 5% more doctors per person than North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 2.9 per 1,000 (2022) · Serbia: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in North Macedonia are obese, versus 26% in Serbia.
North Macedonia: 31.2% (2024) · Serbia: 25.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Serbia and North Macedonia are practically level.
North Macedonia: 39.6% (2024) · Serbia: 39.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Serbia rate their lives 0.97 points higher than in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 5.72 (2025) · Serbia: 6.69 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Serbia drink 80% more alcohol than in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 6.2 litres (2023) · Serbia: 11.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Serbia has 64% more meat per person than North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 51.5 kg (2023) · Serbia: 84.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Serbia has 403 kcal more food per person per day than North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 3,476 kcal (2023) · Serbia: 3,879 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Serbia put in 46 more hours a year than in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 1,949 hours (2023) · Serbia: 1,995 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Serbia went to school 1.4 years longer than in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 10.2 years (2023) · Serbia: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
North Macedonia welcomed 26% more tourists per resident than Serbia (2019).
North Macedonia: 0.46 (2024) · Serbia: 0.36 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
93% of people in North Macedonia are online, versus 88% in Serbia.
North Macedonia: 93% (2025) · Serbia: 88% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
North Macedonia and Serbia are practically level.
North Macedonia: 100% (2024) · Serbia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
North Macedonia and Serbia are practically level.
North Macedonia: 63% (2025) · Serbia: 63% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Serbia has 124 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, North Macedonia 108.
North Macedonia: 108 (2024) · Serbia: 124 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Serbia’s railway network is 4.9 times as long as North Macedonia’s.
North Macedonia: 683 km (2021) · Serbia: 3,348 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
North Macedonia: no data · Serbia: 0.59 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 40% of North Macedonia, but only 32% of Serbia.
North Macedonia: 39.7% (2023) · Serbia: 32.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Serbia emits 72% more CO₂ than someone in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 3.6 t (2024) · Serbia: 6.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
47% of North Macedonia’s electricity is renewable, versus 28% in Serbia.
North Macedonia: 47.2% (2025) · Serbia: 27.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in North Macedonia carries 18% more fine dust than in Serbia.
North Macedonia: 20.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Serbia: 17.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 16% more likely to be murdered in North Macedonia than in Serbia.
North Macedonia: 1.5 per 100k (2023) · Serbia: 1.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Serbia are 30% deadlier than in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 5.7 per 100k (2021) · Serbia: 7.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Serbia is on average 0.1 °C warmer than North Macedonia.
North Macedonia: 12°C (2016–2025 avg) · Serbia: 12°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
North Macedonia gets 2% more rain than Serbia.
North Macedonia: 796 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Serbia: 782 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is North Macedonia bigger than Serbia?
Serbia is larger. North Macedonia fits inside Serbia 3.3 times.
Which has more people, North Macedonia or Serbia?
Serbia has 3.6 times as many people as North Macedonia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, North Macedonia or Serbia?
People in North Macedonia live 0.65 years longer than in Serbia. Life expectancy at birth is 76.6 years in North Macedonia and 76.0 in Serbia.
Are people taller in North Macedonia or Serbia?
Men in Serbia are 4.3 cm taller than in North Macedonia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
