Factbook dossier
Background
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
Area
total : 56,594 sq km land: 55,974 sq km water: 620 sq km
Natural resources
oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
Natural hazards
destructive earthquakes
Population
total: 4,071,208 (2025 est.) male: 1,968,334 female: 2,102,874
Ethnic groups
Croat 91.6%, Serb 3.2%, other 3.9% (including Bosniak, Romani, Albanian, Italian, and Hungarian), unspecified 1.3% (2021 est.)
Languages
Croatian (official) 95.2%, Serbian 1.2%, other 3.1% (including Bosnian, Romani, Albanian, and Italian) unspecified 0.5% (2021 est.) major-language sample(s): Knjiga svjetskih činjenica, nužan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Croatian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
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.)
Environmental issues
air pollution in urban areas, as well as emissions from neighboring countries; surface water pollution in the Danube River Basin
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 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
Executive branch
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
Legislative branch
legislature name: Croatian Parliament (Hrvatski Sabor) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 151 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 4/17/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) (55); Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP) (37); Homeland Movement (DP) (11); We Can! – Political Platform (Možemo!) (10); Bridge (Most) (7); Other (20) percentage of women in chamber: 33.1% expected date of next election: April 2028 note: of the 151 seats, 140 members come from 10 multi-seat constituencies, with 3 members in a constituency for Croatian diaspora; voters belonging to recognized minorities elect an additional 8 members from a nationwide constituency: the Serb minority elects 3 members, the Hungarian and Italian minorities elect 1 each, the Czech and Slovak minorities elect 1 jointly, and all other minorities elect 2
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$164.825 billion (2024 est.) $158.769 billion (2023 est.) $153.693 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$42,600 (2024 est.) $41,100 (2023 est.) $39,900 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3% (2024 est.) 7.9% (2023 est.) 10.8% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Italy 14%, Germany 11%, Slovenia 11%, Bosnia & Herzegovina 6%, Austria 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
Italy 14%, Germany 14%, Slovenia 11%, Hungary 6%, Austria 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security 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) note: the Ministry of the Interior is responsible for internal security, including law enforcement (Croatia Police) and border security
Military expenditures
2% of GDP (2025 est.) 1.9% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2022 est.) 2% of GDP (2021 est.)