Croatia
With a global ranking of #8, Croatia leads in tourist arrivals. Few places match this level of performance. Test your knowledge of this global leader.
Croatia is a country in Europe with a population of 4.07M and an area of 56,594 km². Life expectancy is 78.5 years.
At a Glance
The numbers that define this country
University Enrollment Rate
81.2%Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Human Development Index
0.89The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
GDP Per Capita
$42.6KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
48.8KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Life Expectancy
78.5 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Life Expectancy
78.6 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Where They Stand Out
Global rankings worth knowing
👥Elderly Population (%)
23.2%The percentage of the population aged 65 and older.
❤️Smoking Rate
37.0%The percentage of people aged 15 and older who use tobacco products.
🍻Tourist Arrivals
21.61MHow many international tourists visit the country each year.
🌍Coastline Length
5.8KTotal coastline length from CIA World Factbook.
🌱Protected Land (%)
38.4%The percentage of land area designated as protected natural reserves or parks.
Did You Know?
Facts that catch players off guard
Ranks #9 globally in elderly population (%)
Elderly Population (%): 23.2%
The percentage of the population aged 65 and older.
World Bank 2023Ranks #9 globally in smoking rate
Smoking Rate: 37.0%
The percentage of people aged 15 and older who use tobacco products.
World Bank 2023Ranks #8 globally in tourist arrivals
Tourist Arrivals: 21.61M
How many international tourists visit the country each year.
World Bank 2023Ranks #12 globally in death rate
Death Rate: 12.87
The number of deaths per 1,000 people each year.
World Bank 2023Ranks #13 globally in beer consumption
Beer Consumption: 4.22
How many liters of beer the average adult (15+) drinks per year.
Our World in Data 2023Surprised? See how you stack up.
Play NowHow Croatia Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
GDP per Capita
Above avgGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
World Bank 2023Life Expectancy
Above avgHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
World Bank 2023Human Development Index
Above avgThe Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Our World in Data 2023Internet Users
Above avgThe percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Test Your IntuitionAbout Croatia
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.
- Location
- Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
- 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
- Natural Resources
- oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
- Natural Hazards
- destructive earthquakes
- Size Comparison
- slightly smaller than West Virginia
- Languages
- Croatian (official) 95.2%, Serbian 1.2%, other 3.1% (including Bosnian, Romani, Albanian, and Italian) unspecified 0.5% (2021 est.)
- 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.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Croat 91.6%, Serb 3.2%, other 3.9% (including Bosniak, Romani, Albanian, Italian, and Hungarian), unspecified 1.3% (2021 est.)
- Major Cities
- 684,000 ZAGREB (capital) (2023)
- Government Type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Zagreb
- Capital Coordinates
- 45 48 N, 16 00 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Croatia
- Name Origin
- 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"
- 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)
- National Symbols
- red-and-white checkerboard
- National Anthem
- "Lijepa nasa domovino" (Our Beautiful Homeland)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 10 (8 cultural, 2 natural)
- 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
- 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
- Agricultural Products
- maize, wheat, sugar beets, milk, barley, soybeans, sunflower seeds, potatoes, pork, grapes (2023)
- Export Partners
- Italy 14%, Germany 11%, Slovenia 11%, Bosnia & Herzegovina 6%, Austria 6% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- ships, garments, electricity, packaged medicine, wood (2023)
- Import Partners
- Italy 14%, Germany 14%, Slovenia 11%, Hungary 6%, Austria 5% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, cars, garments, natural gas, crude petroleum (2023)
- Military 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
- 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)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 31.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 1.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 14.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 48.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); geothermal: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 3.7% of total installed capacity (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)
Deep Dive
69 of 90 metricsEvery stat we track, organized by category
Related Countries
Neighboring Countries
Slovenia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
San Marino
AustriaCountries with Similar GDP
Romania
Estonia
U.S. Virgin Islands
Hungary
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Share something surprising about Croatia!
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Frequently Asked Questions about Croatia
Croatia has a population of 4.07M, ranking #129 globally by population.
Croatia is located in Europe. It has an area of 56,594 km².
Life expectancy in Croatia is 78.5 years, ranking #60 globally.
Croatia's GDP per capita (PPP) is 48.8K, ranking #52 globally.
Croatia ranks particularly high in University Enrollment Rate (#23), Human Development Index (#41), GDP Per Capita (#49).
Croatia has an HDI of 0.889, ranking #41 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
Croatia has a population density of 69.0 people per km², ranking #135 globally.
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