Croatia
Croatia⌘K
Overview
- Background
- 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.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 55,974 sq km
- Water
- 620 sq km
- Total
- 56,594 sq km
- Climate
- Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
- Terrain
- geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Land Use
- Other
- 38.2% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 34.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 26.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 15.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 1.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 9.6% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
- Coastline
- 5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km; islands 4,058 km)
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Adriatic Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- Dinara 1,831 m
- Mean elevation
- 331 m
- Irrigated land
- 170 sq km (2022)
- Map references
- Europe
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 2,237 km
- Border countries
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 956 km; Hungary 348 km; Montenegro 19 km; Serbia 314 km; Slovenia 600 km
Maritime Claims
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
- Natural hazards
- destructive earthquakes
- Geography note
- controls most land routes from Western Europe to the Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits; most Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia -- some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks
- Natural resources
- oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
- Area comparative
- slightly smaller than West Virginia
- Geographic coordinates
- 45 10 N, 15 30 E
- Population distribution
- 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
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Atlantic ocean drainage
- (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
- Major rivers (BY length in km)
- 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
People & Society
Languages
- Languages
- 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.
- Religions
- 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.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.71 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 8.49 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 12.87 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 43.2 years
- Total
- 44.9 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 47 years
Population
- Male
- 1,968,334
- Total
- 4,071,208 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 2,102,874
Nationality
- Note
- 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
- Noun
- Croat(s), Croatian(s)
- Adjective
- Croatian
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 33.6% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 32.8% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 32.1% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 58.6% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.05% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 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)
- Ethnic groups
- Croat 91.6%, Serb 3.2%, other 3.9% (including Bosniak, Romani, Albanian, Italian, and Hungarian), unspecified 1.3% (2021 est.)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 55.9 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 21.5 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 2.9 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 34.4 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 3.91 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 8.1% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 13.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -0.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 5.6 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.43 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: urban
- urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 4.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 8.5% national budget (2021 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 8.2 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 8.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- -0.53% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.69 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- 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
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 74.6 years
- Female
- 81 years
- Total population
- 77.7 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 3 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 4.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 3.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 9.64 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.)
- Major urban areas population
- 684,000 ZAGREB (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 24.4% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 29 years (2020 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 50.1% (2021 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 15 years (2022 est.)
- Total
- 16 years (2022 est.)
- Female
- 17 years (2022 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue -- the pan-Slav colors -- with the Croatian coat of arms in the center, which consists of a main shield (a checkerboard of 13 red and 12 silver fields) with five smaller shields that form a crown over the main shield
meaning: the small shields represent the five historic regions (from left to right): Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia
history: Russia's 19th-century flag inspired the pan-Slav colors
Capital
- Name
- Zagreb
- Etymology
- the city's name means "beyond the bank (or ditch)"; za in Old Croat means "beyond," and greb means "bank" or "ditch," relating to the city's original site above the Sava River
- 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
- Geographic coordinates
- 45 48 N, 16 00 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- 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
- History
- several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1990
- Amendment process
- 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
Country Name
- Former
- People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia
- Etymology
- name probably derives from the Croats, a Slavic tribe who migrated to the Balkans in the 7th century A.D., but that name may be related to the Russian word khrebet, meaning "mountain chain"
- Local long form
- Republika Hrvatska
- Local short form
- Hrvatska
- Conventional long form
- Republic of Croatia
- Conventional short form
- Croatia
- Independence
- 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia); notable earlier dates: ca. 925 (Kingdom of Croatia established), 1 December 1918 (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes established, later became Yugoslavia)
- Legal system
- civil law system influenced by legal heritage of Austria-Hungary
- Government type
- parliamentary republic
Judicial Branch
- Note
- note: an 11-member Constitutional Court has jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues, but it is outside the judicial system
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court (consists of the court president and vice president, 25 civil department justices, and 16 criminal department justices)
- Subordinate courts
- Administrative Court; county, municipal, and specialized courts
- 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
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the Assembly
- Chief of state
- President Zoran MILANOVIC (since 18 February 2020)
- Election results
2025: Zoran MILANOVIC elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Zoran MILANOVIC (SDP) 74.6%, Dragan PRIMORAC (independent) 25.3%
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%- Head of government
- Prime Minister Andrej PLENKOVIC (since 19 October 2016)
- Most recent election date
- December 2024 (first round) and January 2025 (second round)
- Election/appointment process
- president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president and approved by the Assembly
- Expected date of next election
- 2029
- National holiday
- Statehood Day (National Day), 30 May (1990)
- National color(s)
- red, white, blue
National Heritage
- 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); Šibenik Cathedral (c); Stari Grad Plain (c); Zadar and Fort St. Nikola Venetian Defense Works (c); Primeval Beech Forests (n); Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards (c)
- Political parties
- 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 Škoro 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!
Legislative Branch
- Note
- 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
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 151 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Legislature name
- Croatian Parliament (Hrvatski Sabor)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 4/17/2024
- Expected date of next election
- April 2028
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 33.1%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) (55); Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP) (37); Homeland Movement (DP) (11); We Can! – Political Platform (Možemo!) (10); Bridge (Most) (7); Other (20)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Lijepa nasa domovino" (Our Beautiful Homeland)
- History
- adopted in 1972 while still part of Yugoslavia; the lyrics were written in 1835, and it served as an unofficial anthem beginning in 1891
- Lyrics/music
- Antun MIHANOVIC/Josip RUNJANIN
- National symbol(s)
- red-and-white checkerboard
- Administrative divisions
- 20 counties (zupanije, singular - zupanija) 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)
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 588-8937
- Chancery
- 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 588-5899
- Consulate(s)
- Anchorage (AL), Houston, Kansas City (MO),Minneapolis/St. Paul (MN), New Orleans, Pittsburgh (PA)
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Pjer ŠIMUNOVIĆ (since 8 September 2017)
- Consulate(s) general
- Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle (WA)
- Email address and website
washington@mvep.hr
https://mvep.gov.hr/embassy-114969/114969
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [385] (1) 665-8933
- Embassy
- Ulica Thomasa Jeffersona 2, 10010 Zagreb
- Telephone
- [385] (1) 661-2200
- Mailing address
- 5080 Zagreb Place, Washington DC 20521-5080
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Nicole McGRAW (since 21 October 2025)
- Email address and website
ZagrebACS@state.gov
https://hr.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- 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
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
CROATIA · LEGISLATURE
Croatian Parliament
151 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
151
Majority line
77
Largest party
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
Parties
21
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Zoran Milanović
- Head of State
Andrej Plenković
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $32.487 billion (2023 est.)
- Expenditures
- $33.715 billion (2023 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $46.6B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $41.907 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $45.064 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $46.601 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $50.9B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $46.769 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $46.811 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $49.86 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- 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
- Labor force
- 1.733 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 56.3%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2023
- 75.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 7.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 7.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 7.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Note
- 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.
- Currency
- euros (EUR) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 0.876 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 0.845 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 0.95 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 0.925 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 0.924 (2024 est.)
- Economic overview
- upper-middle-income Balkan economy; newest euro user (introduced in 2023); increased investments from EU structural funds and tourism sector contributing to strong but moderating economic growth; declining energy prices and restrictive monetary policy easing inflation; historically low unemployment rate with labor shortages within services and manufacturing sectors
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 5.0%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 7% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 6.1% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 5.3% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- Italy 14%, Germany 11%, Slovenia 11%, Bosnia & Herzegovina 6%, Austria 6% (2023)
- Imports partners
- Italy 14%, Germany 14%, Slovenia 11%, Hungary 6%, Austria 5% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $49,551
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $39,900 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $41,100 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $42,600 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.4%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 7.3% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 3.3% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 3.8% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- maize, wheat, sugar beets, milk, barley, soybeans, sunflower seeds, potatoes, pork, grapes (2023)
- Exports commodities
- ships, garments, electricity, packaged medicine, wood (2023)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, cars, garments, natural gas, crude petroleum (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$1.9B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- -$2.621 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- $635.97 million (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- -$1.049 billion (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 21.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $92.526 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 57% (2024 est.)
- Government consumption
- 22.6% (2024 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- -0.2% (2024 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 23.7% (2024 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 49.8% (2024 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -52.9% (2024 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 18% (2021 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 18.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 7.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.4%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 10.8% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 7.9% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 3% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 2.1% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $164.825 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $153.693 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $158.769 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $164.825 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 15.5% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 16.6% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 18.2% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $29.726 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $3.176 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $3.336 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 19.8% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 59.7% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 3.4% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 2.9% (2022 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 23% (2022 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2022
- 30 (2022 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 1,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
- Imports
- 663,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 596,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 71 million barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 70,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 8.461 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 10.038 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 16.408 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 5.518 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 2.053 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Exports
- 1.119 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 2.995 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 722.231 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 2.689 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 24.919 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 79.907 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 14.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 1.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Geothermal
- 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 31.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 48.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 3.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 83% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- the national state-owned public broadcaster, Croatian Radiotelevision, operates 4 terrestrial TV networks, a satellite channel that rebroadcasts programs for Croatians overseas, and 6 regional TV centers; 2 private broadcasters with 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
- .hr
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 1.1 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 29 (2024 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 4.72 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 122 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 1.11 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 28 (2023 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 2
- Small
- 6
- Medium
- 0
- Key ports
- Bakar, Dubrovnik, Omisalj, Rijeka Luka, Rovinj, Sibenik, Split, Zadar
- Very small
- 8
- Total ports
- 16 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 8
- Airports
- 45 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 2,617 km (2020) 980 km electrified
- Heliports
- 7 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 384 (2023)
- BY type
- bulk carrier 10, general cargo 32, oil tanker 14, other 328
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- 9A
Environment
- Climate
- Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
Geoparks
- Global geoparks and regional networks
- Biokovo-Imotski Lakes; Papuk; Vis Archipelago (2024)
- Total global geoparks and regional networks
- 3 (2024)
Land Use
- Other
- 38.2% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 34.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 26.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 15.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 1.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 9.6% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 58.6% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.05% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 1.81 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 20% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- air pollution in urban areas, as well as emissions from neighboring countries; surface water pollution in the Danube River Basin
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 465 million cubic meters (2022)
- Industrial
- 475 million cubic meters (2022)
- Agricultural
- 76 million cubic meters (2022)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 16.467 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 5.275 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 1.335 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 9.858 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 15.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 105.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- 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
Military & Security
- Military note
- 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 (2025) - Military deployments
- 150 Kosovo (KFOR/NATO); also has a few hundred personnel participating in several other EU, NATO, and UN missions (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2% of GDP (2025 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 2% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 1.8% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 1.9% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military expenditures 2025
- 2% of GDP (2025 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (Oruzane Snage Republike Hrvatske, OSRH): Croatian Army (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV), Croatian Navy (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM; includes Coast Guard), Croatian Air Force (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo, HRZ) (2025)
- Military service age and obligation
- 18-29 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished in 2008 but will be reinstated in 2026 when it will become mandatory for men aged 19-29 to undergo two months of basic military training (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- 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, Türkiye, and the US (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 15,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Refugees
- 29,927 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 758 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index62.0 / 100as of 2024-Q460 / 1902024-Q4
Civica Pulse−1.0as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.62as of 2024-Q443 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusPartly Free (83/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (65/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Croatia — vintage 2026-Q1: Croatia factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/croatia
Sources: Eurostat, FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata