Table of Contents
Development Challenge
Land and property markets in the Western Balkans have long suffered from outdated records, fragmented cadastral systems, overlapping jurisdictions, incomplete parcel information, and slow registration processes. These structural weaknesses created uncertainty for households, hindered credit access, and discouraged investment. Strengthening real estate registration, harmonizing cadastral data, and improving geospatial systems are essential for secure property rights, efficient land markets, transparent public administration, and greater economic confidence.
World Bank Group Approach
The World Bank Group supported a coordinated regional effort to modernize land governance across the Western Balkans by digitizing cadastral and registry records, harmonizing legal frameworks, improving geospatial systems, and expanding public access to transparent property services.
In Serbia, the World Bank financed major upgrades to the property registration system, valuation framework, and mass appraisal tools, reducing transaction times and improving service delivery. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, support focused on harmonizing cadastral and land registry data, strengthening institutional capacity, and improving the reliability and accessibility of property information for citizens and businesses. In Kosovo, the World Bank financed cadastral reconstruction in priority areas, established a modern national geospatial infrastructure and geoportal, and expanded digital land services.
Strong property rights and modern geospatial systems underpin economic growth by enabling secure ownership, easier property transfers, improved access to credit, better municipal planning, and greater investment, supporting business expansion, job creation, and sustainable local development.
Results
Serbia (2015–2023)
- Registration time reduced from 48 days to under 4 days.
- Savings for citizens over 6 million hours in waiting time and $44.4 million (EUR 38 million) in fees.
- More than 7,500 staff trained, including over 2,800 women (approximately 37 percent).
- Customer satisfaction increased from 66 percent to 91 percent.
- Nationwide geospatial data from 140 institutions integrated into one system.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (2013–2023)
- 1.3 million citizens newly registered as owners/co-owners (under $8 per parcel).
- More than 1.1 million parcels recorded; 100 percent of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) land records digitized and online.
- Mass property valuation methodologies developed and operational.
Kosovo (2019–2024)
- Over 92,000 properties digitized; approximately 120,000 citizens using online services (4 times of the target).
- Women’s ownership increased from 16.8 percent to 21.08 percent.
- 82 geo-datasets, 7.64 million annual visits; approximately 1,500 staff trained; 10 systems interconnected.
Contribution to World Bank Group Targets and Jobs
These projects contribute to WBG targets across three priority areas. By securing property rights for over 1.3 million citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reducing registration times from 48 days to under 4 days in Serbia, and digitizing over 92,000 properties in Kosovo, the projects lower barriers to collateral-backed lending – directly supporting households and women-led businesses in accessing financial services.
Women’s property ownership gains across the region, including an increase from 16.8 to 21 percent in Kosovo and 37 percent female representation among the more than 7,500 staff trained in Serbia, reflect broader progress on gender inclusion. Digital land services reaching approximately 120,000 users in Kosovo and millions of citizens across Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina through fully digitized and online land records advance broadband-enabled access, contributing to women’s use of digital public services. Faster, transparent registration also reduces transaction costs and tenure uncertainty, enabling businesses to expand and create more and better jobs.
Lessons Learned
Modernizing land administration is most effective when technical upgrades are paired with institutional strengthening, legal harmonization, and clear public communication. Digital systems significantly reduce errors and processing times, but sustained impact requires adequate staffing, training, and long-term maintenance budgets. Harmonizing cadastre and registry data – especially in post-conflict contexts – takes time but greatly increases accuracy and public trust. Investments in geospatial infrastructure add value across sectors, from urban planning to service delivery. Strong donor coordination improves efficiency and accelerates reforms.
Next Steps
The World Bank continues supporting the Western Balkans to deepen digital land services, advance cadastral reconstruction, and strengthen geospatial platforms.
Priorities include:
- Completing Kosovo’s reconstruction and interoperability of systems by 2026
- Improving data quality and service delivery in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Advancing Serbia’s valuation framework and expanding digital services
- Strengthening institutional sustainability and EU-alignment across all three projects.
These efforts will support transparency, attract investment, and help build more resilient, well-governed land systems across the region.
READ MORE: https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2026/05/11/western-balkans-modernizing-property-rights-to-build-confidence-for-investment-and-opportunity
