Manufacturing
Manufacturing employs more people than any other sector in Republika Srpska: 56,700 in 2024, in about 4,900 companies. Food, metal products, wood and furniture, chemicals, plastics, building materials, leather and pharmaceuticals make up most of the output.
Manufacturing in figures
- People employed in manufacturing, 2024 — one in five jobs
- 56,727
- Registered manufacturing businesses, end of 2024
- 4,917
- Total industrial sales, 2024, including energy and mining
- 7.56 bn KM
- Total exports of Republika Srpska, 2024
- 5.05 bn KM
- Share of exports going to EU member states and CEFTA countries
- 93.8%
- Pharmaceutical sales, 2024 (29 m KM in 2017)
- 95 m KM
Source: Republika Srpska Institute of Statistics, This is Republika Srpska 2025: tables 4.2 (employment), 15.1 (business register), 17.3 (sales by industrial division) and the External trade chapter.
Largest manufacturing branches by sales, 2024
Value of sale in millions of KM. Energy (1,934 m KM) and mining are excluded.
| Branch | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food products | 802 | 1,100 | +37% |
| Fabricated metal products | 421 | 628 | +49% |
| Wood and wood products | 429 | 530 | +24% |
| Chemicals and chemical products | 184 | 357 | +94% |
| Non-metallic mineral products (cement, glass, ceramics) | 118 | 353 | +199% |
| Rubber and plastic products | 166 | 339 | +104% |
| Basic metals | 227 | 269 | +19% |
| Furniture | 215 | 251 | +17% |
| Leather and footwear | 139 | 220 | +58% |
| Paper and paper products | 122 | 185 | +52% |
| Electrical equipment | 98 | 147 | +50% |
| Beverages | 109 | 138 | +27% |
| Motor vehicle parts and trailers | 35 | 112 | +220% |
| Machinery and equipment | 77 | 108 | +40% |
| Pharmaceuticals | 29 | 95 | +228% |
Source: Republika Srpska Institute of Statistics, This is Republika Srpska 2025, table 17.3. Current prices, not adjusted for inflation.
What the region exports
In 2024 the largest export groups were machinery and electrical equipment (14.2% of exports), base metals and metal articles (13.4%) and mineral products (11.3%). The main buyers were Croatia (16.9%), Serbia (16.6%), Slovenia (11.2%), Germany (10.8%) and Italy (10.5%).
Fast-growing branches
Between 2017 and 2024, sales more than doubled in pharmaceuticals, vehicle parts and trailers, building materials and plastics. Hemofarm's plant for solid medicine forms in Novakovići near Banja Luka, part of the German STADA group, is one example of export-oriented investment.
Working with a contract manufacturer
Send drawings and the expected annual volume, and ask for a capability list with machines, tolerances and materials. Check certificates: ISO 9001, IATF 16949 for automotive work, ISO 13485 for medical devices, and CE marking where it applies. Plan a factory visit before the first serial order. Customs procedures follow the rules of Bosnia and Herzegovina. See Export & trade.
