SCORE Bosnia Herzegovina

                          
     
     
    SCORE Bosnia and Herzegovina 

    SCORE is a robust scientific assessment tool that is carefully calibrated to each context to investigate societal dynamics and guide evidence-based policy and programme design for enhancing social cohesion. For a more detailed explanation of the SCORE methodology, please read here.

    In Bosnia and Herzegovina, SCORE has been implemented across multiple waves (2014, 2020, and 2025), allowing for both in-depth analysis and the tracking of key trends in social cohesion over time. 

     

    SCORE Bosnia and Herzegovina 2025 

    The Social Cohesion and Reconciliation (SCORE) Index in Bosnia and Herzegovina was implemented in 2025 with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and funding from the Government of Denmark. The project aims to strengthen resilience to divisive narratives, support inclusive social development, and identify factors that foster reconciliation and interethnic harmony. 

    Building on previous SCORE rounds, the 2025 assessment generates updated insights into the social dynamics shaping intergroup relations across Bosnia and Herzegovina. In particular, it examines how communities experience and respond to divisive narratives, intergroup tensions, and broader socio-political fragmentation. Overall, the goals are SCORE Bosnia 2025 are: 

    • Conceptualise elements of social cohesion in BiH in a measurable way and assess their status 
    • Track changes over time across the key elements of social cohesion  
    • Identify groups and regions facing greater challenges of social cohesion. 
    • Understand the drivers of intergroup harmony and tension, including social, economic, and political factors. 
    • Provide evidence for inclusive, data-driven policies and programmes that promote long-term peace and development and cultivate sense of shared progress and constructive citizenship. 

    Data for SCORE BiH 2025 were collected between November 2025 and February 2026, with majority of data collection happening in November – December 2025.  

    To ensure the robustness and representativeness of the findings, data were collected from approximately 3,800 respondents via face-to-face Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). Using a stratified sampling approach designed to capture variation across key demographic and geographic groups, survey covered all 16 regional-territorial units of the country. The total sample of 3,800 included 660 respondents from 10 booster localities, identified based on programmatic priorities. These boosters included 100-140 respondents each, from Velika Kladusa, Jajce, Odzak, Stolac, Mostar, Prnjavor, Doboj, Teslic, Srebrenica, Brčko District. The nationally representative sample of 3,170 is weighted based on entity and ethnicity. 

    SCORE BiH 2025 addresses several key questions: What is the current state of core dimensions of social cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina? How have these elements evolved since 2020? Which social groups and geographic areas face greater challenges or gaps in social cohesion? 

    The SCORE BiH 2025 framework focuses on five key dimensions of social cohesion: 

    1. Intergroup Harmony with Outgroups
      This element captures the quality of horizontal relations between ethnic communities. It includes indicators such as intergroup trust, positive affect towardoutgroups, social proximity (the opposite of social distance), and the absence of social anxiety, reflecting overall attitudes between ethnic groups. 
    2. Constructive Citizenship
      This element reflects individuals’ engagement in civic life and their contribution to the common good. It encompasses civic duty, community cooperation, and civic awareness, capturing willingness to participate in collective action and uphold democratic values.
    3. Inclusive Belonging
      This component examines the extent to which individuals identify with an overarching civic identity that transcends ethnic or regional divisions. It measures inclusive civic identity and sense of belonging.
    4. Shared Sense of Progress
      This dimension captures perceptions of collective advancement and optimism about the country’s future, reflecting whether communities feel included in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s trajectory.
    5. Support for BiH Institutions
      This element assesses trust in and perceived legitimacy of state institutions, including confidence in public institutions and the broader institutional framework.

    The data collected through SCORE BiH 2025 enables robust statistical analysis and modelling to identify key drivers, relationships, and vulnerabilities within the country’s social cohesion landscape. These insights are intended to inform evidence-based policies and programmes that strengthen trust, promote reconciliation, and encourage inclusive civic engagement. 

     

                                                                               

     

    SCORE Bosnia and Herzegovina 2020 

    The SCORE in Bosnia and Herzegovina was repeated in 2020 through a partnership between the United States Agency for International Development, Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Centre for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development (SeeD). The primary aim was to support the efforts of USAID/OTI and IOM’s Bosnia and Herzegovina Resilience Initiative (BHRI). 

    The overall objective of BHRI was to strengthen community resilience and address the threat of violent extremism by promoting alternative narratives that challenge division and by enhancing the capacity of institutional and community actors to mitigate and respond to escalatory violence. 

    Reflecting evolving priorities and methodological advancements, the 2020 SCORE introduced new indicators not previously measured in 2014, such as ethnonationalism and exposure to ethnonationalist narratives. Additional research tools were also employed, including SeeD’s Resilience Assessment Framework, alongside established tools such as the Intergroup Comparison Framework. 

    Due to the expanded scope and programmatic relevance of the 2020 wave, additional geographical regions were included in the sample. Data were collected by Prism Research between December 2019 and March 2020, achieving a total sample of 4,570 respondents. The majority of the sample was demographically and geographically representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a portion dedicated to priority groups, including youth under the age of 35 and individuals living in BHRI programme areas. 

    The main objectives of SCORE BiH 2020 were to: 

    • Develop a deeper understanding of citizenship in Bosnia and Herzegovina by examining how it is shaped by individual capabilities and contextual factors 
    • Identify the drivers of constructive citizenship and inclusive identity that foster social cohesion both across ethnic groups and between citizens and institutions 
    • Assess the causes and risk factors associated with estrangement, radicalisation, and vulnerability to divisive narratives 
    • Examine the prevalence and interaction of ethnonationalist and religious extremist tendencies 
    • Provide evidence-based policy entry points to strengthen institutional and community capacities for fostering social cohesion and resilience 

    While the 2014 and 2020 SCORE surveys did not follow the same respondents, a number of indicators were retained across both waves, allowing for the analysis of trends over time. These comparisons should be interpreted with caution, as full comparability was not always possible. 

     

     

                                       

     

    SCORE Bosnia and Herzegovina 2014 

    The SCORE in Bosnia and Herzegovina was first implemented in 2014 by USAID in partnership with SeeD. Data collection took place between December 2013 and April 2014, with a representative sample of 2,000 respondents, largely reflecting the three constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Data were collected by Prism Research. 

    The overarching aim of the 2014 SCORE BiH was to assess social cohesion, with a particular focus on intergroup relations. The study explored outcomes such as readiness for political compromise and the ability to envision a shared future across ethnic groups, providing a baseline understanding of social cohesion dynamics in the country. 

     

    SCORE Vocabulary 

    Dimensions 
    Dimensions are thematic categories that organise indicators on the platform. Users can explore multiple indicators grouped under different dimensions of social cohesion. 

    Indicators 
    Indicators measure specific phenomena (e.g. economic security, active citizenship, tolerance to corruption). They are typically based on multiple survey items and validated through statistical reliability tests. Scores range from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates the absence of the phenomenon and 10 indicates its maximum presence. 

    Heatmaps 
    Heatmaps display how indicators vary across geographic areas, helping identify regional disparities and priority areas for intervention. 

    Path Analyses (Predictive Models) 
    These models represent directional relationships between indicators using advanced statistical methods such as regression, network analysis, and structural equation modelling. They identify key drivers and outcomes, helping to understand what influences social dynamics. 

    Resilience Analyses 
    Resilience analyses identify factors that help individuals and communities withstand risks and prevent negative outcomes. They are particularly useful when data is collected over multiple time points and rely on techniques such as structural equation modelling and moderation analysis. 

    Intergroup Comparison Frameworks 
    These analyses compare dynamics between different groups to identify divisions, inequalities, and opportunities for improving cooperation and social cohesion. They use statistical techniques such as latent profile analysis and multivariate analysis.