Zagreb

ZAGREB, 17 July 2026 (Croatia Week) – Croatia recorded a positive migration balance with foreign countries, while the country continued to experience a significant natural population decline, according to official demographic data released today from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics.

A total of 56,665 people moved to Croatia from abroad last year, while 37,485 people left the country, resulting in a positive foreign migration balance of 19,180 people.

The figures form part of the latest overview of Croatia’s population movements, covering foreign and internal migration, births, deaths and marriages.

Foreign nationals accounted for the majority of people moving to Croatia in 2025. Foreign citizens made up 70.3% of arrivals, while Croatian citizens accounted for 29.7%.

Among those leaving Croatia, 65.0% were foreign citizens and 35.0% were Croatian citizens.

The official figures include people granted residence and work permits, as well as displaced people from Ukraine who were granted temporary protection in Croatia.

Germany was the most common country of origin among people moving to Croatia, accounting for 17.0% of all arrivals.

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Nepal each accounted for 11.1%. Serbia and India accounted for the next highest.

Germany was also the leading destination for people leaving Croatia, accounting for 16.6% of all departures.

Austria, Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina were the next most popular destinations. 

Men made up the majority of both arrivals and departures. They accounted for 66.3% of people arriving from abroad and 73.7% of those leaving Croatia.

Among those who left the country, the largest age group was people aged between 20 and 39, who accounted for 54.2% of all departures.

The largest share of arrivals was recorded in Zagreb, which accounted for 18.3% of the total, followed by Split-Dalmatia County with 11.0% and Istria County with 10.5%.

Zagreb also recorded the largest share of departures abroad, at 21.1%, followed by Zagreb County at 8.5%, and Istria and Split-Dalmatia counties, each at 8.3%.

More than 73,000 people moved within Croatia

A total of 73,838 people changed their place of residence within Croatia last year.

People aged between 20 and 39 accounted for the largest share of internal migration, at 46.7%, while women represented 54.3% of all people who moved.

The largest share of internal moves, 40.8%, took place between counties. A further 37.7% involved moves between towns or municipalities within the same county, while 21.5% involved moves between settlements within the same town or municipality.

The highest levels of migration between towns and municipalities within the same county were recorded in Split-Dalmatia and Primorje-Gorski Kotar counties.

The largest movement between counties involved Zagreb and Zagreb County.

Of Croatia’s 20 counties and the City of Zagreb, seven counties recorded a positive inter-county migration balance in 2025.

The strongest positive balance was recorded in Zagreb County, at 1,937 people.

Thirteen counties and the City of Zagreb recorded a negative inter-county migration balance. The largest negative balances were recorded in Brod-Posavina County (-522) and Vukovar-Srijem County (-463).

When both international and inter-county migration are taken into account, Zagreb County recorded the largest positive overall migration balance, at 3,475 people.

Istria County followed with a positive balance of 3,275 people.

The largest negative overall migration balances were recorded in Sisak-Moslavina County (-558) and Brod-Posavina County (-205).

Births rise, but deaths continue to outnumber births

Croatia recorded a modest increase in births in 2025.

The number of live births rose by 1.3% compared with 2024, or by 410 children.

A total of 32,600 births were recorded, including 32,479 live births and 121 stillbirths.

Of the live births, 51.3% were boys and 48.7% were girls.

The birth rate stood at 8.4 live births per 1,000 inhabitants.

At the same time, the number of deaths fell by 1,073, or 2.1%, compared with the previous year.

A total of 50,007 people died in Croatia in 2025. Women accounted for 50.1% of deaths and men for 49.9%.

The infant mortality rate was 3.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, down from 3.2 in 2024.

Despite the rise in births and fall in deaths, Croatia recorded a negative natural population change of 17,528 people in 2025.

The natural increase rate stood at -4.5, while the vital index – the number of live births per 100 deaths – was 64.9.

All Croatian counties recorded a negative natural population change.

The largest negative natural balance was recorded in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, at -1,941, with a vital index of 47.6.

At local level, 43 towns and municipalities recorded a positive natural increase. A negative natural balance was recorded in 509 towns and municipalities and in the City of Zagreb, while three municipalities recorded an equal number of births and deaths.

Marriages and divorces

A total of 17,270 marriages were registered in Croatia in 2025.

The marriage rate was 4.5 marriages per 1,000 inhabitants.

During the same year, 5,674 marriages were legally dissolved.

The divorce rate was 1.5 divorces per 1,000 inhabitants, while there were 328.5 divorces for every 1,000 marriages.