Serbs
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 11.5–12.5 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Populations over 100,000 in former Yugoslavia | |
 Serbia (excl. Kosovo)
|
5,988,150 (2011) |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
1,086,733 (2013) |
 Croatia
|
186,633 (2011) |
 Montenegrob
|
178,110 (2011) |
 Kosovo
|
90–120,000 (2012 est.)a |
| Rest of former Yugoslavia | ·· |
 Slovenia
|
38,964 (2002) |
 Macedonia
|
35,939 (2002) |
| Rest of Europe | ·· |
 Germany
|
c. 500,000 (2014 est.) |
 Austria
|
c. 300,000 (2010 est.) |
 Switzerland
|
c. 71,260 (2015 est.) |
 France
|
c. 120,000 (2002 est.) |
 Sweden
|
c. 110–120,000 (est.) |
 United Kingdom
|
c. 70,000 (2001 est.) |
 Romania
|
18,076 (2011) |
| North America | · |
 United Statesc
|
199,080 (2012) |
 Canadac
|
80,320 (2011) |
| Rest of the world | · |
 Australiac
|
69,544 (2011) |
 South America
|
over 20,000 |
 New Zealand
|
1,056 (2013 census) |
| Languages | |
| Serbian | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christianity (Serbian Orthodox Church) |
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other South Slavic peoples (especially Montenegrins) | |
|
aKosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The 2011 census in Kosovo was largely boycotted by the Serb community. b Some 265,895 (42.88%) citizens declared Serbian language as their mother tongue, while 446,858 (72.07%) declared Orthodox religion. c The number of people of Serb descent in North America and Australia is higher, as people who identify as having Yugoslav ancestry (310,682 in the U.S., 48,320 in Canada and 26,883 people in Australia) are mostly of Serb origin. |
|
b Some 265,895 (42.88%) citizens declared Serbian language as their mother tongue, while 446,858 (72.07%) declared Orthodox religion.
The Serbs (Serbian: Срби/Srbi, pronounced [sr̩̂bi]) are a South Slavic ethnic group that formed in the Balkans. The majority of Serbs inhabit the nation state of Serbia (with a minority in disputed Kosovo), as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. They form significant minorities in Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia. There is a large Serb diaspora in Western Europe, and outside Europe there are significant communities in North America and Australia.
The Serbs share many cultural traits with the rest of the peoples of Southeast Europe. They are predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christians by religion. The Serbian language is official in Serbia, co-official in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is spoken by the majority in Montenegro.
The modern identity of Serbs is rooted in Eastern Orthodoxy and traditions. In the 19th century, the Serbian national identity was manifested, with awareness of history and tradition, medieval heritage, cultural unity, despite living under different empires. Three elements, together with the legacy of the Nemanjić dynasty, were crucial in forging identity and preservation during foreign domination: the Serbian Orthodox Church, Kosovo Myth, and the Serbian language. When the Principality of Serbia gained independence from the Ottoman Empire, Orthodoxy became crucial in defining the national identity, instead of language which was shared by other South Slavs (Croats and Bosniaks). The tradition of slava, the family saint feast day, is an important ethnic marker of Serb identity, and is usually regarded their most significant and most solemn feast day.
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