Croatia

• Mediterranean and continental;
• continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters;
• mild winters, dry summers along coast

• 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

• controls most land routes from Western Europe to the Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits;
• most Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia -- some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks

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

total:

44.9 years (2025 est.)

male:

43.2 years

female:

47 years

• 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

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.71 male(s)/female

total population:

0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

3.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

8.2 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

8.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

77.7 years (2024 est.)

male:

74.6 years

female:

81 years

urban:

100% of population (2022 est.)

urban:

0% of population (2022 est.)

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:

32.8% (2025 est.)

male:

33.6% (2025 est.)

female:

32.1% (2025 est.)

• Mediterranean and continental;
• continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters;
• mild winters, dry summers along coast

urban population:

58.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.05% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

1.81 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

20% (2022 est.)

municipal:

465 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial:

475 million cubic meters (2022)

agricultural:

76 million cubic meters (2022)

total global geoparks and regional networks:

3 (2024)

global geoparks and regional networks:

• Biokovo-Imotski Lakes;
• Papuk;
• Vis Archipelago (2024)

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 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"

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 city's name means "beyond the bank (or ditch)";
• za in Old Croat means "beyond," and greb means "bank" or "ditch," relating to the city's original site above the Sava River

history:

several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1990

amendment process:

• 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

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

chief of state:

President Zoran MILANOVIC (since 18 February 2020)

head of government:

Prime Minister Andrej PLENKOVIC (since 19 October 2016)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the Assembly

election/appointment process:

• president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president and approved by the Assembly

most recent election date:

December 2024 (first round) and January 2025 (second round)

election results:

2025: Zoran MILANOVIC elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Zoran MILANOVIC (SDP) 74.6%, Dragan PRIMORAC (independent) 25.3%; 2019: Zoran MILANOVIC elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Zoran MILANOVIC (SDP) 52.7%, Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC (HDZ) 47.3%

expected date of next election:

2029

highest court(s):

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: an 11-member Constitutional Court has jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues, but it is outside the judicial system

• Bosniaks Together
• The Bridge or MOST (formerly the Bridge of Independent Lists)
• Croatia Romani Union Kali Sara (SRRH)
• Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ
• Democratic Union of Hungarians in Croatia (DZMH)
• Focus or Fokus
• Homeland Movement or DP (also known as Miroslav Škoro Homeland Movement or DPMS)
• Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS
• Independent Platform of the North (NPS)
• Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS
• Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP
• We Can! or Mozemo!

chief of mission:

Ambassador Nicole McGRAW (since 21 October 2025)

embassy:

Ulica Thomasa Jeffersona 2, 10010 Zagreb

mailing address:

5080 Zagreb Place, Washington DC 20521-5080

telephone:

[385] (1) 661-2200

FAX:

[385] (1) 665-8933

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://hr.usembassy.gov/

title:

"Lijepa nasa domovino" (Our Beautiful Homeland)

lyrics/music:

Antun MIHANOVIC/Josip RUNJANIN

history:

adopted in 1972 while still part of Yugoslavia; the lyrics were written in 1835, and it served as an unofficial anthem beginning in 1891

total World Heritage Sites:

10 (8 cultural, 2 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Plitvice Lakes National Park (n);
• Historic Split (c);
• Old City of Dubrovnik (c);
• Euphrasian Basilica;
• Historic Trogir (c);
• Šibenik Cathedral (c);
• Stari Grad Plain (c);
• Zadar and Fort St. Nikola Venetian Defense Works (c);
• Primeval Beech Forests (n);
• Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards (c)

• 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

agriculture:

3.4% (2024 est.)

industry:

19.8% (2024 est.)

services:

59.7% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

16.6% (2024 est.)

male:

15.5% (2024 est.)

female:

18.2% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

18.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

7.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.9% (2022 est.)

highest 10%:

23% (2022 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

596,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

1,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports:

663,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

70,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

71 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

722.231 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

2.689 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports:

1.119 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

2.995 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

24.919 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• 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)

total ports:

16 (2024)

large:

2

medium:

0

small:

6

very small:

8

ports with oil terminals:

8

key ports:

Bakar, Dubrovnik, Omisalj, Rijeka Luka, Rovinj, Sibenik, Split, Zadar

• 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)

note: as of 2024, women comprised about 14% of the military's full-time personnel

refugees:

29,927 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

758 (2024 est.)