Current population
From 2013 census, The City of Banja Luka has a population of 185,042 people.
Ethnic composition EthnicityNumberPercentageSerbs165,75089.57%Bosniaks7,5814.10%Croats5,1042.76%Others6,6073.57%Total185,042100%
Religious composition EthnicityNumberPercentageSerbian Orthodox Church168,95590.25%Islam7,5264.07%Roman Catholic Church4,8422.62%Agnostic6120.33%Atheist8850.45%Others4,4222.39%Total185,042100%
1991 According to the 1991 census, the municipality of Banja Luka had a population of 195,692, including:
106,826 (54.58%) Serbs 29,026 (14.83%) Croats 28,558 (14.59%) ethnic Muslims 23,656 (12.08%) ethnic Yugoslavs 7,626 (3.92%) others and unknown
1981 According to the 1981. census, the municipality of Banja Luka had a population of 183,618, including:
93,389 (50,86%) Serbs 30,442 (16,57%) Croats 21,726 (11,83%) ethnic Muslims 31,347 (17,07%) ethnic Yugoslavs 6,714 (3,65%) others and unknown
1971 According to the 1971. census, the municipality of Banja Luka had a population of 158,736, including:
92,465 (58,25%) Serbs 33,371 (21,02%) Croats 24,268 (15,28%) ethnic Muslims 4,684 (2,95%) ethnic Yugoslavs 3,948 (2,48%) others and unknown
Settlements (over 1,500 residents), 1991. census
Banja Luka
total: 143,079
70,155 (49.03%) Serbs 27,689 (19.35%) ethnic Muslims 15,700 (10.97%) Croats 22,645 (15.82%) ethnic Yugoslavs 6,890 (4.81%) others and unknown Ivanjska
total: 4,577
3,306 (72.23%) Croats 1,095 (23.92%) Serbs 6 (0.13%) ethnic Muslims 118 (2.57%) ethnic Yugoslavs 52 (1.13%) others and unknown Piskavica
total: 3,798
3,729 (98.18%) Serbs 15 (0.39%) Croats 1 (0.02%) ethnic Muslims 27 (0.71%) ethnic Yugoslavs 26 (0.68%) others and unknown Rekavice
total: 2,679
2,487 (92.83%) Serbs 128 (4.77%) Croats 1 (0.03%) ethnic Muslims 49 (1.82%) ethnic Yugoslavs 14 (0.52%) others and unknown Dragočaj
total: 2,578
1,890 (73.31%) Croats 478 (18.54%) Serbs 21 (0.81%) ethnic Muslims 141 (5.46%) ethnic Yugoslavs 48 (1.86%) others and unknown Kola
total: 2,241
2,212 (98.70%) Serbs 1 (0.04%) ethnic Muslims 18 (0.80%) ethnic Yugoslavs 10 (0.44%) others and unknown Motike
total: 2,009
944 (46.98%) Croats 941 (46.83%) Serbs 10 (0.49%) ethnic Muslims 80 (3.98%) ethnic Yugoslavs 34 (1.69%) others and unknown Krupa na Vrbasu
total: 1,858
1,826 - 98.27% Serbs 7 - 0.37% Croats 1 - 0.05% ethnic Muslims 14 - 0.75% ethnic Yugoslavs 10 - 0.53% others and unknown Bistrica
total: 1,703
1,651 - 96.94% Serbs 6 - 0.35% ethnic Muslims 3 - 0.17% Croats 32 - 1.87% ethnic Yugoslavs 11 - 0.64% others and unknown Bočac
total: 1,685
1,670 - 99.10% Serbs 1 - 0.05% Croats 1 - 0.05% ethnic Muslims 3 - 0.17% ethnic Yugoslavs 10 - 0.59% others and unknown Pavlovac
total: 1,522
1,377 - 90.47% Serbs 26 - 1.70% Croats 7 - 0.45% ethnic Muslims 39 - 2.56% ethnic Yugoslavs 73 - 4.79% others and unknown Šimići
total: 1,516
1,493 - 98.48% Croats 8 - 0.52% Serbs 15 - 0.98% others and unknown
Historical population
At the first census, conducted by Austro-Hungarian authorities in 1879, Banja Luka had the following religious (ethnic) composition:
Banja Luka municipality - 86,209 citizens, Orthodox 74.46%, Muslims 14.33%, Catholics 10.52%
Banja Luka city - 13,566 citizens, Muslims 67.71%, 19.8% Orthodox.
As the city was industrialized and wider urbanization of the surrounding areas took place, Orthodox Serbs that typically inhabited surrounding rural areas (due to Ottoman feudal system) were incorporated into the city's urban structure.
Banja Luka is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Banja Luka and home to the Cathedral of St. Bonaventure.
During World War II most of Banja Luka's prominent Serbian and Sephardic Jewish families were deported to nearby Croatian concentration camps, such as Jasenovac and Stara Gradiška in Croatia. Today, Banja Luka's Jewish community is virtually non-existent. A spike in Serbian immigration was mostly noted after the earthquake of 1969, when the city has seen a boom in housing construction.
In 1991 the city of Banja Luka was still an ethnically mixed city (with a relative Serb majority), while on the municipal level there was an evident Serb majority of 54.6%.
References
Sources Official results from the book: Ethnic composition of Bosnia-Herzegovina population, by municipalities and settlements, 1991. census, Zavod za statistiku Bosne i Hercegovine - Bilten no.234, Sarajevo 1991.