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Croatia
Introduction
Background
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 occupying Yugoslav forces, dominated by Serb officers, were mostly 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.
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Geography
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates
45 10 N, 15 30 E
Map references
Europe
Land boundaries
total: 2,237 km
border countries (5): Bosnia and Herzegovina 956 km, Hungary 348 km, Montenegro 19 km, Serbia 314 km, Slovenia 600 km
Coastline
5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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
Elevation
highest point: Dinara 1,831 m
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 331 m
Natural resources
oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
Land use
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.)
Irrigated land
240 sq km (2012)
Total renewable water resources
105.5 billion cubic meters (2017 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
Natural hazards
destructive earthquakes
Environment - international 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
Geography - note
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
People and Society
Nationality
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
Ethnic groups
Croat 90.4%, Serb 4.4%, other 4.4% (including Bosniak, Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, and Romani), unspecified 0.8% (2011 est.)
Languages
Croatian (official) 95.6%, Serbian 1.2%, other 3% (including Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and Albanian), unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)
printed major-language sample:
Knjiga svjetskih činjenica, nužan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Croatian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Roman Catholic 86.3%, Orthodox 4.4%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.5%, not religious or atheist 3.8% (2011 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 14.16% (male 308,668/female 289,996)
15-24 years: 10.76% (male 233,602/female 221,495)
25-54 years: 39.77% (male 841,930/female 839,601)
55-64 years: 14.24% (male 290,982/female 310,969)
65 years and over: 21.06% (male 364,076/female 526,427) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 55.7
youth dependency ratio: 22.6
elderly dependency ratio: 33.1
potential support ratio: 3 (2020 est.)
Median age
total: 43.9 years
male: 42 years
female: 45.9 years (2020 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
Urbanization
urban population: 57.9% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 0.05% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
685,000 ZAGREB (capital) (2021)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
28.9 years (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 8.91 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.67 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.97 years
male: 73.83 years
female: 80.3 years (2021 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Current Health Expenditure
6.8% (2018)
Physicians density
3 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
Hospital bed density
5.5 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access
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 (2017 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
<.1% (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
<100 (2019 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: intermediate (2020)
vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.3%
male: 99.7%
female: 98.9% (2015)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2018)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 16.6%
male: 14.5%
female: 19.8% (2019 est.)
Environment
Environment - current issues
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
Environment - international 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
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 17.03 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 17.49 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 3.98 megatons (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 455 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
industrial: 184 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 76 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources
105.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Climate
Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
Land use
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.)
Revenue from forest resources
forest revenues: 0.26% of GDP (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85Urbanization
urban population: 57.9% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 0.05% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: intermediate (2020)
vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis
Waste and recycling
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.)
Government
Country name
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.
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
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)"
Administrative divisions
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)
Independence
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)
National holiday
Statehood Day (National Day), 30 May (1990); note - marks the day in 1990 that the first modern multi-party Croatian parliament convened
Constitution
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 (2021)
Legal system
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
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Zoran MILANOVIC (since 18 February 2020)
head of government: Prime Minister Andrej PLENKOVIC (since 19 October 2016); Deputy Prime Ministers Damir KRSTICEVIC (since 19 October 2016), Predrag STROMAR (since 9 June 2017), Marija Pejcinovic BURIC (since 19 June 2017), and Tomislav TOLUSIC (since 25 May 2018)
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: Zoran MILANOVIC elected president in second round; percent of vote - Zoran MILANOVIC (SDP) 52.7%, Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC (HDZ) 47.3%
Legislative branch
description: unicameral Assembly or Hrvatski Sabor (151 seats; 140 members in 10 multi-seat constituencies and 3 members in a single constituency for Croatian diaspora directly elected by proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method with a 5% threshold; an additional 8 members elected from a nationwide constituency by simple majority by voters belonging to minorities recognized by Croatia; the Serb minority elects 3 Assembly members, the Hungarian and Italian minorities elect 1 each, the Czech and Slovak minorities elect 1 jointly, and all other minorities elect 2; all members serve 4-year terms
elections: early election held on 5 July 2020 (next to be held by 2024)
election results: percent of vote by coalition/party - HDZ-led coalition 37.3%, Restart coalition 24.9%, DPMS-led coalition 10.9%, MOST 7.4%, Green-Left coalition 7%, P-F-SSIP 4%, HNS-LD 1.3%, People's Party - Reformists 1%, other 6.2%; number of seats by coalition/party - HDZ-led coalition 66, Restart coalition 41, DPMS-led coalition 16, MOST 8, Green-Left coalition 7, P-F-SSIP 3, HNS-LD 1, People's Party - Reformists - 1, national minorities 8; composition - men 116, women 35, percent of women 23.2%
note: seats by party as of March 2021 - HDZ 62, SDP 33, DP 9, Most 6, Croatian Sovereignists 4, We Can! 4, IDS 3, SDSS 3, HSS 2, HSLS 2, BZH 1, Center 1, FOKUS 1, GLAS 1, HDS 1, HSU 1, NL 1, Reformists 1, SSIP 1, WF 1, independent 12
Judicial branch
highest courts: 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
Political parties and leaders
Bloc for Croatia or BZH [Zlatko HASANBEGOVIC]
Bridge of Independent Lists or Most [Bozo PETROV]
Center [collective leadership] (formerly Pametno)
Civic Liberal Alliance or GLAS [Ankar Mrak TARITAS]
Croatian Christian Democratic Party or HDS [Goran DODIG]
Croatian Conservative Party or HKS [Marijan PAVLICEK]
Croatian Democratic Congress of Slavonia and Baranja or HDSSB [Branimir GLAVAS]
Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Andrej PLENKOVIC]
Croatian Democratic Union-led coalition (includes HSLS, HDS, HDSSB)
Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Kreso BELJAK]
Croatian Pensioner Party or HSU [Silvano HRELJA]
Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats or HNS-LD [Ivan VRDOLJAK]
Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Dario HREBAK]
Croatian Sovereignists coalition (includes HKS, HRAST)
FOKUS [Davor NADI]
Green-Left coalition (includes MOZEMO!, RF, NL)
Homeland Movement or DP [Miloslav SKORO]
Homeland Movement-led coalition (includes DP, Croatian Sovereignists coalition, BZH)
Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Boris MILETIC]
Movement for Successful Croatia or HRAST [Ladislav ILCIC]
New Left or NL [Dragan MARKOVINA]
Pametno [Marijana PULJAK]
Pametno, FOKUS, SSIP coalition
Party with a First and Last Name or SSIP [Ivan KOVACIC]
People's Party - Reformists [Radimir CACIC]
Restart Coalition (includes HSLS, HDS, HDSSB)
Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Zlatko KOMADINA, acting leader]
We Can! or MOZEMO! [collective leadership]
Workers' Front or RF [collective leadership]
HDZ 62, SDP 33, DP 9, Most 6, Croatian Sovereignists 4, We Can! 4, IDS 3, SDSS 3, HSS 2, HSLS 2, Block 1, Center 1, FOKUS 1, GLAS 1, HDS 1, HSU 1, New Left 1, Reformists 1, SSIP 1, Workers' Front 1, independent 12
International organization participation
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, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Pjer SIMUNOVIC (since 8 September 2017)
chancery: 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899
FAX: [1] (202) 588-8936
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador W. Robert KOHORST (since 12 January 2018)
telephone: [385] (1) 661-2200
embassy: 2 Thomas Jefferson Street, 10010 Zagreb
mailing address: use embassy street address
FAX: [385] (1) 661-2373
Flag description
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
National symbol(s)
red-white checkerboard; national colors: red, white, blue
National anthem
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
Economy
Economic overview
Though still one of the wealthiest of the former Yugoslav republics, Croatia’s economy suffered badly during the 1991-95 war. The country's output during that time collapsed, and Croatia missed the early waves of investment in Central and Eastern Europe that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Between 2000 and 2007, however, Croatia's economic fortunes began to improve with moderate but steady GDP growth between 4% and 6%, led by a rebound in tourism and credit-driven consumer spending. Inflation over the same period remained tame and the currency, the kuna, stable.
Croatia experienced an abrupt slowdown in the economy in 2008; economic growth was stagnant or negative in each year between 2009 and 2014, but has picked up since the third quarter of 2014, ending 2017 with an average of 2.8% growth. Challenges remain including uneven regional development, a difficult investment climate, an inefficient judiciary, and loss of educated young professionals seeking higher salaries elsewhere in the EU. In 2016, Croatia revised its tax code to stimulate growth from domestic consumption and foreign investment. Income tax reduction began in 2017, and in 2018 various business costs were removed from income tax calculations. At the start of 2018, the government announced its economic reform plan, slated for implementation in 2019.
Tourism is one of the main pillars of the Croatian economy, comprising 19.6% of Croatia’s GDP. Croatia is working to become a regional energy hub, and is undertaking plans to open a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal by the end of 2019 or early in 2020 to import LNG for re-distribution in southeast Europe.
Croatia joined the EU on July 1, 2013, following a decade-long accession process. Croatia has developed a plan for Eurozone accession, and the government projects Croatia will adopt the Euro by 2024. In 2017, the Croatian government decreased public debt to 78% of GDP, from an all-time high of 84% in 2014, and realized a 0.8% budget surplus - the first surplus since independence in 1991. The government has also sought to accelerate privatization of non-strategic assets with mixed success. Croatia’s economic recovery is still somewhat fragile; Croatia’s largest private company narrowly avoided collapse in 2017, thanks to a capital infusion from an American investor. Restructuring is ongoing, and projected to finish by mid-July 2018.
Real GDP growth rate
2.94% (2019 est.)
2.7% (2018 est.)
3.14% (2017 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0.7% (2019 est.)
1.4% (2018 est.)
1.1% (2017 est.)
Credit ratings
Fitch rating: BBB- (2019)
Moody's rating: Ba1 (2020)
Standard & Poors rating: BBB- (2019)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$116.339 billion (2019 est.)
$113.105 billion (2018 est.)
$110.016 billion (2017 est.)
note: data are in 2010 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate)
$60.687 billion (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$28,602 (2019 est.)
$27,669 (2018 est.)
$26,674 (2017 est.)
note: data are in 2010 dollars
Gross national saving
25.3% of GDP (2019 est.)
25.3% of GDP (2018 est.)
25.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 3.7% (2017 est.)
industry: 26.2% (2017 est.)
services: 70.1% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
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.)
Ease of Doing Business Index scores
Overall score: 73.6 (2020)
Starting a Business score: 85.3 (2020)
Trading score: 100 (2020)
Enforcement score: 70.6 (2020)
Agricultural products
maize, wheat, sugar beet, milk, barley, soybeans, potatoes, pork, grapes, sunflower seed
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 - by occupation
agriculture: 1.9%
industry: 27.3%
services: 70.8% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line
18.3% (2018 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
30.4 (2017 est.)
32.1 (2014 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 23% (2015 est.)
Budget
revenues: 25.24 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 24.83 billion (2017 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
$1.597 billion (2019 est.)
$1 billion (2018 est.)
Exports
$36.28 billion (2019 est.)
$33.97 billion (2018 est.)
$32.75 billion (2017 est.)
Exports - partners
Italy 13%, Germany 13%, Slovenia 10%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 9%, Austria 6%, Serbia 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
refined petroleum, packaged medicines, cars, medical cultures/vaccines, lumber (2019)
Imports
$37.612 billion (2019 est.)
$35.367 billion (2018 est.)
$32.899 billion (2017 est.)
Imports - partners
Italy 14%, Germany 14%, Slovenia 11%, Hungary 7%, Austria 6% (2019)
Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, electricity (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$18.82 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$14.24 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external
$48.263 billion (2019 est.)
$51.176 billion (2018 est.)
Exchange rates
kuna (HRK) per US dollar -
6.2474 (2020 est.)
6.72075 (2019 est.)
6.48905 (2018 est.)
6.8583 (2014 est.)
5.7482 (2013 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity - installed generating capacity
4.921 million kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80Electricity - from fossil fuels
45% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
40% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52Electricity - from other renewable sources
16% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49Refined petroleum products - production
74,620 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70Refined petroleum products - consumption
73,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91Natural gas - proved reserves
24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
17.96 million Mt (2017 est.)
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 1,333,661
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 31.38 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 4,404,652
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 103.63 (2019 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment:
Croatia’s telecom market improved through partnership with the EU in 2013, opening a competitive market in mobile and broadband and conducive regulatory environment; one of the highest mobile penetration rates in the Balkans, covering most remote areas; local lines are digital; international operator investment provides relatively high broadband penetration; tests for 5G technologies in 2020 (2020)
(2020)domestic: fixed-line teledensity has dropped somewhat to about 32 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions 107 per 100 (2019)
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)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
Broadcast media
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 users
total: 3,104,212
percent of population: 72.69% (July 2018 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 1,154,773
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27.17 (2019 est.)
Transportation
National air transport system
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 mt-km (2018)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 24 (2017)
over 3,047 m: 2 (2017)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 (2017)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2017)
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2017)
under 914 m: 10 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 45 (2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2013)
under 914 m: 38 (2013)
Heliports
1 (2013)
Pipelines
2410 km gas, 610 km oil (2011)
Railways
total: 2,722 km (2014)
standard gauge: 2,722 km 1.435-m gauge (980 km electrified) (2014)
Roadways
total: 26,958 km (includes 1,416 km of expressways) (2015)
country comparison to the world: 101Merchant marine
total: 343
by type: bulk carrier 14, general cargo 33, oil tanker 19, other 277 (2020)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Ploce, Rijeka, Sibenik, Split
oil terminal(s): Omisalj
river port(s): Vukovar (Danube)
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (Oruzane Snage Republike Hrvatske, OSRH) consists of five major commands directly subordinate to a General Staff: Ground Forces (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM, includes Coast Guard), Air Force and Air Defense Command (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo I Protuzracna Obrana), Joint Education and Training Command, Logistics Command; Military Police Force supports each of the three Croatian military forces (2021)
Military expenditures
1.83% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.65% of GDP (2019)
1.57% of GDP (2018)
1.67% of GDP (2017)
1.62% of GDP (2016)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia have approximately 15,000 active duty personnel (10,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 1,500 Air force; 2,000 joint/other) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the inventory of the Croatian Armed Forces consists mostly of Soviet-era equipment, although in recent years, it has acquired a limited number of more modern weapon systems from some Western suppliers, including Finland, Germany, and the US (2020)
Military service age and obligation
18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2008 (2019)
Military - note
Croatia officially became a member of NATO in 2009
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
dispute remains with Bosnia and Herzegovina over several small sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinders ratification of the 1999 border agreement; since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Croatia and Slovenia have each claimed sovereignty over Piranski Bay and four villages, and Slovenia has objected to Croatia's claim of an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic Sea; in 2009, however Croatia and Slovenia signed a binding international arbitration agreement to define their disputed land and maritime borders, which led to Slovenia lifting its objections to Croatia joining the EU; Slovenia continues to impose a hard border Schengen regime with Croatia, which joined the EU in 2013 but has not yet fulfilled Schengen requirements
Refugees and internally displaced persons
stateless persons: 2,900 (2020)
note: 729,079 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-May 2021); flows slowed considerably in 2017; Croatia is predominantly a transit country and hosts about 340 asylum seekers as of the end of June 2018
Illicit drugs
primarily a transit country along the Balkan route for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe and other illicit drugs and chemical precursors to and from Western Europe; no significant domestic production of illicit drugs