ARCHIVE // HR // 2024
Croatia
2024 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
[time series]
total: 1,030,973 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 25 (2020 est.)
Broadcast media
[time series]
the national state-owned public broadcaster, Croatian Radiotelevision, operates 4 terrestrial TV networks, a satellite channel that rebroadcasts programs for Croatians living abroad, and 6 regional TV centers; 2 private broadcasters operate national terrestrial networks; 29 privately owned regional TV stations; multi-channel cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; state-owned public broadcaster operates 4 national radio networks and 23 regional radio stations; 2 privately owned national radio networks and 117 local radio stations (2019)
Internet country code
[time series]
.hr
Internet users
[time series]
total: 3.321 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 81% (2021 est.)
Telecommunication systems
[time series]
general assessment: the mobile market is served by three MNOs, supplemented by a number of MVNOs; the network operators have focused on improving ARPU by encouraging prepaid subscribers to migrate to postpaid plans, and on developing revenue from mobile data services; 5G services are widely available, though the sector will only show its full potential later in 2021 following the award of licenses in several bands; this will contribute towards the government s national broadband plan to 2027, which is tied to the EC s two allied projects aimed at providing gigabit connectivity by the end of 2025; the broadband sector benefits from effective competition between the DSL and cable platforms, while there are also numerous fiber deployments in urban areas; the number of FttP subscribers broached 134,000 in March 2021. (2021) domestic: fixed-line teledensity 31 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions are 108 per 100 (2021) international: country code - 385; the ADRIA-1 submarine cable provides connectivity to Albania and Greece; digital international service is provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic project, which consists of 2 fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik (2019)
Telephones - fixed lines
[time series]
total subscriptions: 1.235 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 31 (2022 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
total subscriptions: 4.48 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 111 (2022 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products
[time series]
maize, wheat, maize, sugar beets, milk, barley, soybeans, sunflower seeds, grapes, pork (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Average household expenditures
[time series]
on food: 19.3% of household expenditures (2022 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 7.7% of household expenditures (2022 est.)
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $3.678 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $3.662 billion (2022 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Credit ratings
[time series]
Fitch rating: BBB- (2019) Moody's rating: Ba1 (2020) Standard & Poors rating: BBB- (2019) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Current account balance
[time series]
$956.968 million (2023 est.) -$2.336 billion (2022 est.) $651.685 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Economic overview
[time series]
tourism-based economy that was one of the hardest hit by COVID-19 economic disruptions; newest euro user since 2023, helping recover from a 6-year recession; public debt increases due to COVID-19 and stimulus packages; weak exports; continuing emigration; new liquefied natural gas import terminal
Exchange rates
[time series]
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.925 (2023 est.) 0.95 (2022 est.) 0.845 (2021 est.) 0.876 (2020 est.) 0.893 (2019 est.) note: Croatia used the kuna prior to conversion to the euro on 1 January 2023. During the transition period the exchange rate was fixed at 7.53450 kuna to 1 euro.
Exports
[time series]
$44.969 billion (2023 est.) $41.903 billion (2022 est.) $34.367 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports - commodities
[time series]
refined petroleum, electricity, natural gas, garments, wood (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Exports - partners
[time series]
Italy 13%, Slovenia 11%, Germany 11%, Hungary 10%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 9% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$82.689 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
household consumption: 58% (2023 est.) government consumption: 21.1% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 19.4% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: 2.6% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 54% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -55.9% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
agriculture: 3% (2023 est.) industry: 18.8% (2023 est.) services: 61.2% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
[time series]
28.9 (2021 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 3.1% (2021 est.) highest 10%: 22.3% (2021 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Imports
[time series]
$46.571 billion (2023 est.) $46.664 billion (2022 est.) $36.256 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports - commodities
[time series]
natural gas, refined petroleum, electricity, garments, cars (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Imports - partners
[time series]
Italy 14%, Germany 12%, Slovenia 11%, Hungary 7%, US 7% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
-0.47% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
[time series]
chemicals and plastics, machine tools, fabricated metal, electronics, pig iron and rolled steel products, aluminum, paper, wood products, construction materials, textiles, shipbuilding, petroleum and petroleum refining, food and beverages, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
7.94% (2023 est.) 10.78% (2022 est.) 2.55% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Labor force
[time series]
1.744 million (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Population below poverty line
[time series]
18% (2021 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Public debt
[time series]
82.08% of GDP (2022 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
[time series]
$159.305 billion (2023 est.) $154.574 billion (2022 est.) $144.425 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
[time series]
3.06% (2023 est.) 7.03% (2022 est.) 13.04% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP per capita
[time series]
$41,300 (2023 est.) $40,100 (2022 est.) $37,200 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Remittances
[time series]
6.89% of GDP (2023 est.) 7.51% of GDP (2022 est.) 7.23% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$3.176 billion (2023 est.) $29.726 billion (2022 est.) $28.309 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
21.41% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Unemployment rate
[time series]
6.06% (2023 est.) 6.96% (2022 est.) 7.61% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 19.2% (2023 est.) male: 17.3% (2023 est.) female: 22.3% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions
[time series]
15.944 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 1.563 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 9.474 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from consumed natural gas: 4.907 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
Coal
[time series]
consumption: 702,000 metric tons (2022 est.) exports: 1,000 metric tons (2022 est.) imports: 702,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Electricity
[time series]
installed generating capacity: 5.417 million kW (2022 est.) consumption: 17.111 billion kWh (2022 est.) exports: 7.226 billion kWh (2022 est.) imports: 11.92 billion kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 1.729 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Electricity access
[time series]
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electricity generation sources
[time series]
fossil fuels: 36.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) wind: 16.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) hydroelectricity: 38.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) geothermal: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) biomass and waste: 7.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
[time series]
78.371 million Btu/person (2022 est.)
Natural gas
[time series]
production: 741.456 million cubic meters (2022 est.) consumption: 2.502 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) exports: 1.038 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) imports: 3.006 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) proven reserves: 24.919 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Petroleum
[time series]
total petroleum production: 11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 70,000 bbl/day (2022 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 71 million barrels (2021 est.)
Environment
Air pollutants
[time series]
particulate matter emissions: 15.29 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 17.49 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 3.98 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
[time series]
Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
Environment - current issues
[time series]
air pollution improving but still a concern in urban settings and in emissions arriving from neighboring countries; surface water pollution in the Danube River Basin
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geoparks
[time series]
total global geoparks and regional networks: 3 (2024) global geoparks and regional networks: Biokovo-Imotski Lakes; Papuk; Vis Archipelago (2024)
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 23.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 16% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 6.2% (2018 est.) forest: 34.4% (2018 est.) other: 41.9% (2018 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km)
[time series]
Dunav (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
[time series]
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Revenue from coal
[time series]
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
[time series]
0.26% of GDP (2018 est.)
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
105.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawal
[time series]
municipal: 460 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 700 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 58.6% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.05% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
[time series]
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.654 million tons (2015 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 269,933 tons (2015 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 16.3% (2015 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total : 56,594 sq km land: 55,974 sq km water: 620 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Climate
[time series]
Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
Coastline
[time series]
5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)
Elevation
[time series]
highest point: Dinara 1,831 m lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m mean elevation: 331 m
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
45 10 N, 15 30 E
Geography - note
[time series]
controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits; most Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia -- some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks
Irrigated land
[time series]
171 sq km (2020)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 2,237 km border countries (5): Bosnia and Herzegovina 956 km; Hungary 348 km; Montenegro 19 km; Serbia 314 km; Slovenia 600 km
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 23.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 16% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 6.2% (2018 est.) forest: 34.4% (2018 est.) other: 41.9% (2018 est.)
Location
[time series]
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
Major rivers (by length in km)
[time series]
Dunav (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
[time series]
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Map references
[time series]
Europe
Maritime claims
[time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Natural hazards
[time series]
destructive earthquakes
Natural resources
[time series]
oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
Population distribution
[time series]
more of the population lives in the northern half of the country, with approximately a quarter of the populace residing in and around the capital of Zagreb; many of the islands are sparsely populated
Terrain
[time series]
geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 1 city* (grad - singular) with special county status; Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska (Bjelovar-Bilogora), Brodsko-Posavska (Brod-Posavina), Dubrovacko-Neretvanska (Dubrovnik-Neretva), Istarska (Istria), Karlovacka (Karlovac), Koprivnicko-Krizevacka (Koprivnica-Krizevci), Krapinsko-Zagorska (Krapina-Zagorje), Licko-Senjska (Lika-Senj), Medimurska (Medimurje), Osjecko-Baranjska (Osijek-Baranja), Pozesko-Slavonska (Pozega-Slavonia), Primorsko-Goranska (Primorje-Gorski Kotar), Sibensko-Kninska (Sibenik-Knin), Sisacko-Moslavacka (Sisak-Moslavina), Splitsko-Dalmatinska (Split-Dalmatia), Varazdinska (Varazdin), Viroviticko-Podravska (Virovitica-Podravina), Vukovarsko-Srijemska (Vukovar-Syrmia), Zadarska (Zadar), Zagreb*, Zagrebacka (Zagreb county)
Capital
[time series]
name: Zagreb geographic coordinates: 45 48 N, 16 00 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the name seems to be related to "digging"; archeologists suggest that the original settlement was established beyond a water-filled hole or graba and that the name derives from this; za in Slavic means "beyond"; the overall meaning may be "beyond the trench (fault, channel, ditch)"
Citizenship
[time series]
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Croatia dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Constitution
[time series]
history: several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1990 amendments: proposed by at least one fifth of the Assembly membership, by the president of the republic, by the Government of Croatia, or through petition by at least 10% of the total electorate; proceedings to amend require majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; passage by petition requires a majority vote in a referendum and promulgation by the Assembly; amended several times, last in 2014
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Republic of Croatia conventional short form: Croatia local long form: Republika Hrvatska local short form: Hrvatska former: People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia etymology: name derives from the Croats, a Slavic tribe who migrated to the Balkans in the 7th century A.D.
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Nathalie RAYES (since 25 January 2024) embassy: Ulica Thomasa Jeffersona 2, 10010 Zagreb mailing address: 5080 Zagreb Place, Washington DC 20521-5080 telephone: [385] (1) 661-2200 FAX: [385] (1) 665-8933 email address and website: ZagrebACS@state.gov https://hr.usembassy.gov/
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Pjer IMUNOVIĆ (since 8 September 2017) chancery: 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899 FAX: [1] (202) 588-8937 email address and website: washington@mvep.hr https://mvep.gov.hr/embassy-114969/114969 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle (WA) consulate(s): Anchorage (AL), Houston, Kansas City (MO),Minneapolis/St. Paul (MN), New Orleans, Pittsburgh (PA)
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: President Zoran MILANOVIC (since 18 February 2020) head of government: Prime Minister Andrej PLENKOVIC (since 19 October 2016) cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the Assembly elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 December 2019 with a runoff on 5 January 2020 (next to be held in 2024); the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president and approved by the Assembly election results: 2019: Zoran MILANOVIC elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Zoran MILANOVIC (SDP) 52.7%, Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC (HDZ) 47.3% 2015: Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC (HDZ) 50.7%, Ivo JOSIPOVIC (Forward Croatia Progressive Alliance) 49.3%
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue - the Pan-Slav colors - superimposed by the Croatian coat of arms; the coat of arms consists of one main shield (a checkerboard of 13 red and 12 silver (white) fields) surmounted by five smaller shields that form a crown over the main shield; the five small shields represent five historic regions (from left to right): Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia note: the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia
Government type
[time series]
parliamentary republic
Independence
[time series]
25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia); note - 25 June 1991 was the day the Croatian parliament voted for independence; following a three-month moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the Yugoslav crisis peacefully, parliament adopted a decision on 8 October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia; notable earlier dates: ca. 925 (Kingdom of Croatia established); 1 December 1918 (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) established)
International law organization participation
[time series]
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
[time series]
AIIB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EMU, EU, FAO, G-11, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Judicial branch
[time series]
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the court president and vice president, 25 civil department justices, and 16 criminal department justices) judge selection and term of office: president of Supreme Court nominated by the president of Croatia and elected by the Sabor for a 4-year term; other Supreme Court justices appointed by the National Judicial Council; all judges serve until age 70 subordinate courts: Administrative Court; county, municipal, and specialized courts; note - there is an 11-member Constitutional Court with jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues but is outside of the judicial system
Legal system
[time series]
civil law system influenced by legal heritage of Austria-Hungary; note - Croatian law was fully harmonized with the European Community acquis as of the June 2010 completion of EU accession negotiations
Legislative branch
[time series]
description: unicameral Assembly or Hrvatski Sabor (151 seats; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last election held on 17 April 2024 (next to be held by April 2028) election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - HDZ-led coalition 40.4%, SDP 27.8%, DP 9.3%, MOST 7.3%, We Can! 6.6%, SDSS 2.0%, Independents 1.3%, NPS 1.3%, IDS 1.3%, Bosniaks Together 0.7%, DZMH 0.7%, Focus 0.7%, SRRH 0.7%; seats by party/coalition - HDZ-led coalition 61, SDP 42, DP 14, MOST 11, We Can! 10, SDSS 3, Independents 2, NPS 2, IDS 2, Bosniaks Together 1, DZMH 1, Focus 1, SRRH 1; composition - men 101, women 50, percent of women 33% note: of the 151 seats, 140 members come from 10 multi-seat constituencies, with 3 members in a constituency for Croatian diaspora; voters belonging to recognized minorities elect an additional 8 members from a nationwide constituency: the Serb minority elects 3 members, the Hungarian and Italian minorities elect 1 each, the Czech and Slovak minorities elect 1 jointly, and all other minorities elect 2
National anthem(s)
(National anthem)
[time series]
name: "Lijepa nasa domovino" (Our Beautiful Homeland) lyrics/music: Antun MIHANOVIC/Josip RUNJANIN note: adopted in 1972 while still part of Yugoslavia; "Lijepa nasa domovino," whose lyrics were written in 1835, served as an unofficial anthem beginning in 1891
National heritage
[time series]
total World Heritage Sites: 10 (8 cultural, 2 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Plitvice Lakes National Park (n); Historic Split (c); Old City of Dubrovnik (c); Euphrasian Basilica; Historic Trogir (c); ibenik Cathedral (c); Stari Grad Plain (c); Zadar and Fort St. Nikola Venetian Defense Works (c); Primeval Beech Forests (n); Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards (c)
National holiday
[time series]
Statehood Day (National Day), 30 May (1990); note - marks the day in 1990 that the first modern multi-party Croatian parliament convened
National symbol(s)
[time series]
red-white checkerboard; national colors: red, white, blue
Political parties
[time series]
Bosniaks Together The Bridge or MOST (formerly the Bridge of Independent Lists) Croatia Romani Union Kali Sara (SRRH) Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ Democratic Union of Hungarians in Croatia (DZMH) Focus or Fokus Homeland Movement or DP (also known as Miroslav koro Homeland Movement or DPMS) Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS Independent Platform of the North (NPS) Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP We Can! or Mozemo!
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the end of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state consisting of six socialist republics, including Croatia, under the strong hand of Josip Broz, aka TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before Yugoslav forces were cleared from Croatian lands, along with a majority of Croatia's ethnic Serb population. Under UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998. The country joined NATO in 2009 and the EU in 2013. In January 2023, Croatia further integrated into the EU by joining the Eurozone and the Schengen Area.
Military and Security
Military - note
[time series]
the Armed Forces of Croatia (OSRH) are responsible for the defense of Croatia s sovereignty and territory, contributing to international humanitarian, peacekeeping, and security missions, and providing assistance to civil authorities for such missions as responding to disasters, search and rescue, anti-terrorism, and internal security in times of crisis if called upon by the prime minister or the president; Croatia joined NATO in 2009, and the OSRH participates in NATO missions, including its peacekeeping force in Kosovo and the Enhanced Forward Presence mission in Eastern Europe; it also contributes to EU and UN missions; the OSRH trains regularly with NATO and regional partners the OSRH was established in 1991 from the Croatian National Guard during the Croatian War of Independence (1991-95); during the war, the ground forces grew to as many as 60 brigades and dozens of independent battalions, and a single military offensive against Serbian forces in 1995 included some 100,000 Croatian troops; in 2000, Croatia initiated an effort to modernize and reform the OSRH into a small, professional military capable of meeting the challenges of NATO membership (2024)
Military and security forces
[time series]
Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (Oruzane Snage Republike Hrvatske, OSRH): Ground Forces (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM; includes Coast Guard), Air Force (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo, HRZ) (2024) note: the Ministry of the Interior is responsible for internal security, including law enforcement (Croatia Police) and border security
Military and security service personnel strengths
[time series]
approximately 14,000 active-duty personnel (10,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 1,500 Air force; 1,000 joint/other) (2024)
Military deployments
[time series]
150 Kosovo (KFOR/NATO); 175 Lithuania (NATO; Croatia also has a few hundred personnel participating in several other EU, NATO, and UN missions (2024)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
[time series]
the military's inventory is a mix of Soviet-era (largely from the former Yugoslavia) equipment and a growing amount of more modern, NATO-compatible weapon systems from suppliers such as France, Germany, Turkey, and the US (2024)
Military expenditures
[time series]
1.8% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2023) 1.8% of GDP (2022) 2% of GDP (2021) 1.7% of GDP (2020)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2008 but slated to be reinstated in January 2025 (2024) note: as of 2024, women comprised about 14% of the military's full-time personnel
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 296,527/female 278,236) 15-64 years: 63.1% (male 1,307,814/female 1,309,394) 65 years and over: 23.1% (2024 est.) (male 399,090/female 559,055)
Alcohol consumption per capita
[time series]
total: 9.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 4.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 3.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 1.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
8.5 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
[time series]
NA
Contraceptive prevalence rate
[time series]
NA
Current health expenditure
[time series]
7.8% of GDP (2020)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
[time series]
50.8% (2023 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
13.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 56.5 youth dependency ratio: 22.1 elderly dependency ratio: 34.4 potential support ratio: 2.9 (2021 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Education expenditure
(Education expenditures)
[time series]
5.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Croat 91.6%, Serb 3.2%, other 3.9% (including Bosniak, Romani, Albanian, Italian, and Hungarian), unspecified 1.3% (2021 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
[time series]
0.71 (2024 est.)
Hospital bed density
[time series]
5.5 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 8.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 8.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
[time series]
Croatian (official) 95.2%, Serbian 1.2%, other 3.1% (including Bosnian, Romani, Albanian, and Italian) unspecified 0.5% (2021 est.) major-language sample(s): Knjiga svjetskih činjenica, nužan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Croatian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 77.7 years (2024 est.) male: 74.6 years female: 81 years
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.4% male: 99.7% female: 99.2% (2021)
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
684,000 ZAGREB (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
[time series]
5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Median age
[time series]
total: 45.1 years (2024 est.) male: 43.2 years female: 47 years
Mother's mean age at first birth
[time series]
29 years (2020 est.)
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Croat(s), Croatian(s) adjective: Croatian note: the French designation of "Croate" to Croatian mercenaries in the 17th century eventually became "Cravate" and later came to be applied to the soldiers' scarves - the cravat; Croatia celebrates Cravat Day every 18 October
Net migration rate
[time series]
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
24.4% (2016)
Physician density
[time series]
3.47 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
Population
[time series]
total: 4,150,116 male: 2,003,431 female: 2,146,685 (2024 est.)
Population distribution
[time series]
more of the population lives in the northern half of the country, with approximately a quarter of the populace residing in and around the capital of Zagreb; many of the islands are sparsely populated
Population growth rate
[time series]
-0.46% (2024 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Roman Catholic 79%, Orthodox 3.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other Christian 4.8%, Muslim 1.3%, other 1.1%, agnostic 1.7%, none or atheist 4.7%, unspecified 3.9% (2021 est.)
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
improved: urban: 99.5% of population rural: 98.4% of population total: 99% of population unimproved: urban: 0.5% of population rural: 1.6% of population total: 1% of population (2020 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 16 years (2020)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
[time series]
total: 36.9% (2020 est.) male: 37.6% (2020 est.) female: 36.1% (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
1.46 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 58.6% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.05% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Transnational Issues
Illicit drugs
[time series]
drug trafficking groups are major players in the procurement and transportation of large quantities of cocaine destined for European markets
Refugees and internally displaced persons
[time series]
refugees (country of origin): 24,525 (Ukraine) (as of 29 February 2024) stateless persons: 2,889 (2022) note: 843,010 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-September 2023)
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
40 (2024)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
[time series]
9A
Heliports
[time series]
4 (2024)
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 384 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 10, general cargo 32, oil tanker 14, other 328
National air transport system
[time series]
number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 18 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,093,577 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 530,000 (2018) mt-km
Pipelines
[time series]
2,410 km gas, 610 km oil (2011)
Ports
[time series]
total ports: 16 (2024) large: 2 medium: 0 small: 6 very small: 8 ports with oil terminals: 8 key ports: Bakar, Dubrovnik, Omisalj, Rijeka Luka, Rovinj, Sibenik, Split, Zadar
Railways
[time series]
total: 2,617 km (2020) 980 km electrified
Roadways
[time series]
total: 26,958 km (2022)
Waterways
[time series]
4,714 km (2022) Danube 2,859 km, Sava 562 km, Drava 505 km, Neretva 20 km, Bosut 151 km, Kupa 296 km, Mura 53 km, Korana 134 km, Lonja 134 km