Estimating the size of the Serbian diaspora is a complex task. Statistical records in destination countries are often irregular and methodologically inconsistent, as they usually rely on country of birth as the main criterion. This is particularly problematic in the Serbian case, given the multiple political and state transformations the region has experienced in recent history. As a result, people of Serbian origin have been recorded under different national categories. In addition, for decades, Serbs more than other former Yugoslav populations often declared themselves as Yugoslavs in official statistics (Grečić, 2019).
According to OECD data published in the International Migration Outlook 2018, Serbia ranked 41st among 50 countries with the largest emigrant populations. Between 2006 and 2016, the average annual outflow from Serbia to OECD countries was around 37,000 people, peaking at 60,000 emigrants in 2015 (OECD, 2018).
At the same time, there is a paradoxical trend: while emigration from Serbia remains strong, the number of Serbian citizens abroad is decreasing. This can largely be explained by the increasing naturalization of Serbian emigrants in host countries, as well as the use of dual citizenship, which leads to their statistical reclassification.
Expert estimates suggest that the Serbian diaspora numbers over four million people (Bobić et al., 2016). Compared to Serbia’s population of approximately 6.6 million inhabitants according to the 2022 census, this means that more than one third of people of Serbian origin live outside the country today.