(Photo: Vlada Republike Hrvatske)
ZAGREB, 22 July 2026 – Croatia is seeking to strengthen ties between the country and its global diaspora, with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković outlining government measures aimed at encouraging young Croats living abroad to return and contribute to the country’s future.
Plenković was speaking at the inaugural session of the Council of Young Croats Outside the Republic of Croatia in Zagreb, attended by around 60 young Croats from across the world. The council is intended to connect young people in Croatia and abroad and provide a platform for greater engagement with the country.
The Prime Minister said the Government had adopted a series of measures to support Croats outside the country, with funding for projects and activities rising from €16 million in 2016 to €200 million today.
Support is focused on three broad groups: Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Croatian minority in 12 European countries, and descendants of Croats living elsewhere in Europe and across other continents.
Plenković also highlighted Croatia’s progress over the past decade, saying GDP had risen from €47 billion to €93 billion, while average monthly pay had increased from €749 to €1,552.
Unemployment, he said, had fallen from around 300,000 people to 61,000, with the unemployment rate now at 3.2%.
He also mentioned that Croatia has 150,000 foreign workers employed in tourism, economy, transport, services and construction. He stated that they came to our country in a well-structured manner, supported by the new law on sites and adequate changes in the laws related to work in Croatia in order to protect their dignity, but also very clearly and regulates the framework for legal entry to Croatia.
(Photo: Vlada Republike Hrvatske)
He also stated that the minimum student hourly wage today is 6.56 euros and that Croatian students have the cheapest student meal in all of Europe, which, thanks to government measures, is only 0.86 euros.
He pointed to Croatia’s membership of the European Union, NATO, the Schengen Area and the eurozone as milestones that had strengthened the country’s international, economic and financial position. Accession to the OECD remains among the country’s outstanding strategic goals.
Demographic challenges were also central to the discussion.
The Government has introduced measures intended to improve opportunities for young people and families, including support for affordable housing, tax measures and employment incentives.
More than 200,000 young people are now employed on permanent contracts, while those returning after spending at least two years abroad can benefit from a five-year exemption from income tax under a government scheme.
“We also have special programs to encourage the return of Croats from abroad, such as exemption from paying income tax for five years for everyone who has been abroad for two years, which is not a small amount and is a real lure for someone to return, and we also have other measures that provide funds to start your own businesses,” said Plenković.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the demographic problem that not only Croatia, but also the modern Western world is facing. He also listed the measures that the government is taking to stop the negative demographic trend.
Plenković also discussed global security challenges, energy prices, defence spending and the reconstruction of Zagreb and Banovina following devastating earthquakes.
(Photo: Vlada Republike Hrvatske)
He called on young Croats abroad to contribute their ideas and play an active role in shaping the country’s future, saying the Government should be a partner and that the new council could help deepen links between Croatia and its global community.
He ended by telling the young people that the Government is their partner, inviting them to contribute their own ideas and be a corrective mechanism.
