The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close 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 under the strong hand of Marshal 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 April 2009 and the EU in July 2013. In January 2023, Croatia further integrated into the EU by joining the Eurozone and the Schengen Area.
land: 55,974 sq km
water: 620 sq km
border countries (5): Bosnia and Herzegovina 956 km; Hungary 348 km; Montenegro 19 km; Serbia 314 km; Slovenia 600 km
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 331 m
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.)
4,169,239 (2023 est.)
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
Croat 90.4%, Serb 4.4%, other 4.4% (including Bosniak, Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, and Romani), unspecified 0.8% (2011 est.)
Croatian (official) 95.6%, Serbian 1.2%, other 3% (including Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and Albanian), unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)
major-language sample(s):
Knjiga svjetskih činjenica, nužan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Croatian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Roman Catholic 86.3%, Orthodox 4.4%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.5%, not religious or atheist 3.8% (2011 est.)
0-14 years: 13.98% (male 300,575/female 282,165)
15-64 years: 63.39% (male 1,319,878/female 1,322,953)
65 years and over: 22.63% (2023 est.) (male 391,632/female 552,036)
total dependency ratio: 56.5
youth dependency ratio: 22.1
elderly dependency ratio: 34.4
potential support ratio: 2.9 (2021 est.)
total: 44.8 years (2023 est.)
male: 42.9 years
female: 46.7 years
-0.47% (2023 est.)
8.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
13 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
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
urban population: 58.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.05% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
684,000 ZAGREB (capital) (2023)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
29 years (2020 est.)
5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 8.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 77.5 years (2023 est.)
male: 74.4 years
female: 80.8 years
1.46 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.71 (2023 est.)
NA
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
7.8% of GDP (2020)
3.47 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
5.5 beds/1,000 population (2017)
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.)
degree of risk: intermediate (2023)
vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis
24.4% (2016)
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.)
total: 36.9% (2020 est.)
male: 37.6% (2020 est.)
female: 36.1% (2020 est.)
NA
50.8% (2023 est.)
5.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.2% (2021)
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 16 years (2020)
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
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
Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
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.)
urban population: 58.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.05% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0.26% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
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.)
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.)
Dunav (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Czechia, 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
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
municipal: 460 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 700 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
105.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
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
$123.348 billion (2021 est.)
$109.088 billion (2020 est.)
$119.327 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
13.07% (2021 est.)
-8.58% (2020 est.)
3.42% (2019 est.)
$31,600 (2021 est.)
$27,000 (2020 est.)
$29,400 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$60.687 billion (2019 est.)
2.55% (2021 est.)
0.15% (2020 est.)
0.77% (2019 est.)
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.
agriculture: 3.7% (2017 est.)
industry: 26.2% (2017 est.)
services: 70.1% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 57.3% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 19.5% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 20% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 51.1% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -48.8% (2017 est.)
maize, wheat, sugar beet, milk, barley, soybeans, potatoes, pork, grapes, sunflower seed
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
9.11% (2021 est.)
1.742 million (2021 est.)
8.68% (2021 est.)
7.51% (2020 est.)
6.62% (2019 est.)
total: 23.6% (2021 est.)
male: 21.8%
female: 26.3%
18.3% (2018 est.)
28.9 (2019 est.)
on food: 23% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 2.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 23% (2015 est.)
revenues: $212.81 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $211.069 billion (2019 est.)
0.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
104.89% of GDP (2020 est.)
87.08% of GDP (2019 est.)
89.45% of GDP (2018 est.)
20.6% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
calendar year
$2.082 billion (2021 est.)
-$184.775 million (2020 est.)
$1.7 billion (2019 est.)
$35.308 billion (2021 est.)
$24.007 billion (2020 est.)
$31.504 billion (2019 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Italy 13%, Germany 13%, Slovenia 10%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 9%, Austria 6%, Serbia 5% (2019)
refined petroleum, crude petroleum, packaged medicines, electricity, electrical transformers (2021)
$36.331 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$27.954 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$31.793 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Italy 14%, Germany 14%, Slovenia 11%, Hungary 7%, Austria 6% (2019)
crude petroleum, cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, electricity (2019)
$28.309 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$23.254 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$20.771 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$48.263 billion (2019 est.)
$51.176 billion (2018 est.)
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)
0.847 (2018 est.)
0.885 (2017 est.)
note: Prior to 1 January 2023, Croatia used the kuna as its currency, and it is currently accepting both currencies until 15 January 2023. However, kuna users will receive change in euros, and the exchange rate has been fixed at 7.53450 kuna to 1 euro. Persons may exchange currencies at Croatian post offices until 30 June 2023, free-of-charge, and at any Croatian bank until 31 December 2023.
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 4.94 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 16,790,680,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 5.852 billion kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 10.491 billion kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.659 billion kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 41% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 16.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 31.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 9.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 643,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 2,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 644,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 12,200 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 71,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 65,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 71 million barrels (2021 est.)
74,620 bbl/day (2015 est.)
40,530 bbl/day (2015 est.)
35,530 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 851.005 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
consumption: 3,009,113,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
exports: 34.462 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
imports: 2,131,802,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 24.919 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
16.752 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 1.674 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 9.4 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 5.678 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
89.733 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
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
9A
69 (2021)
24
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
45
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
1 (2021)
2,410 km gas, 610 km oil (2011)
total: 2,617 km (2020) 980 km electrified
total: 26,958 km (2015) (includes 1,416 km of expressways)
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
total: 376 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 12, general cargo 33, oil tanker 14, other 317
major seaport(s): Ploce, Rijeka, Sibenik, Split
oil terminal(s): Omisalj
LNG terminal(s) (import): Krk Island
river port(s): Vukovar (Danube)
manyapis