Who runs local government in Serbia?

Serbia has 145 local self-government units – 121 municipalities, 23 cities and the City of Belgrade (OECD figures) – plus the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in the north, which has its own assembly and government. Councils (assemblies) are directly elected every four years and then elect the mayor or municipal president. Neighbourhoods and villages are organised as mjesne zajednice (local communities).

Republic of Serbia · Unitary republic with an autonomous province · South-eastern Europe

The levels of government below the nation

Level	How it is chosen	What it does
Autonomous Province of Vojvodina	Provincial assembly directly elected; it elects the provincial government	Agriculture, culture, education, regional development within limits set by national law.
Administrative districts – okruzi	Heads appointed by the national government	Regional centres of state administration; not self-governing.
Municipalities (121), cities (23) and the City of Belgrade	Assembly directly elected every four years (party lists); assembly elects the mayor (gradonačelnik) or municipal president	Local services, utilities, local roads, kindergartens, planning; cities can have municipal police.
City municipalities (e.g. 17 in Belgrade) and local communities – mjesne zajednice	City municipalities have elected assemblies; local community councils are chosen as the municipal statute sets	District services; local communities represent villages and neighbourhoods.

Three questions about local power in Serbia

Are local leaders elected?

Municipal and city assemblies and the Vojvodina assembly are directly elected. Mayors and municipal presidents are elected by assemblies, not directly. District heads are appointed.

Which laws set up local government?

The Constitution (Articles 176–193), the Law on Local Self-Government, the Law on Territorial Organisation and the Law on National Councils of National Minorities. Religious influence is informal.

Who are local leaders accountable to?

Assemblies can dismiss mayors; the government can dissolve an assembly in limited cases and appoint a temporary body; the Constitutional Court reviews local acts; the State Audit Institution audits.

Traditional and customary authority

There is no customary authority in law. The Serbian Orthodox Church has strong social influence; in some areas the Islamic Community or Catholic Church does. None has formal local government power.

Community and neighbourhood power

Local communities (mesne zajednice) exist in all cities and many villages, with councils that propose small works and keep community halls. National minority councils, elected by members of 20+ recognised minorities, have rights in education, culture, language and information, which matter a lot in Vojvodina and southern Serbia.

Points to know

Municipalities average about 48,000 people – large by European standards; a new municipality normally needs 10,000 residents.
Belgrade's mayor is elected by a 110-member city assembly.
Serbia's laws on territorial organisation also list municipalities in Kosovo, whose independence Serbia does not recognise.

Local terms

Opština: Municipality.
Mesna zajednica: Local community: sub-municipal village or neighbourhood body.
Okrug: Administrative district of central government.

Sources

Constitution of Serbia (2006), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
Serbia: country profile (territorial organisation, responsibilities, finance), OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment (SNG-WOFI), checked 14 October 2026
Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Government of Serbia, checked 14 October 2026