Croatia

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

45 10 N, 15 30 E

Europe

56,594 sq km

55,974 sq km

620 sq km

Slightly smaller than West Virginia

2,237 km

Bosnia and Herzegovina 956 km; Hungary 348 km; Montenegro 19 km; Serbia 314 km; Slovenia 600 km

5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km; islands 4,058 km)

12 nm

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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

Geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands

Dinara 1,831 m

Adriatic Sea 0 m

331 m

Oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower

26.6% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 15.5% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 1.4% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture: 9.6% (2023 est.)

34.7% (2023 est.)

38.2% (2023 est.)

170 sq km (2022)

Dunav (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

(Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

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

Destructive earthquakes

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

4,071,208 (2025 est.)

1,968,334

2,102,874

Croat(s), Croatian(s)

Croatian

Croat 91.6%, Serb 3.2%, other 3.9% (including Bosniak, Romani, Albanian, Italian, and Hungarian), unspecified 1.3% (2021 est.)

Croatian (official) 95.2%, Serbian 1.2%, other 3.1% (including Bosnian, Romani, Albanian, and Italian) unspecified 0.5% (2021 est.)

Knjiga svjetskih činjenica, nužan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Croatian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

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.)

13.8% (male 296,527/female 278,236)

63.1% (male 1,307,814/female 1,309,394)

23.1% (2024 est.) (male 399,090/female 559,055)

55.9 (2025 est.)

21.5 (2025 est.)

34.4 (2025 est.)

2.9 (2025 est.)

44.9 years (2025 est.)

43.2 years

47 years

-0.53% (2025 est.)

8.49 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

12.87 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-0.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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

58.6% of total population (2023)

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

684,000 ZAGREB (capital) (2023)

1.06 male(s)/female

1.07 male(s)/female

1 male(s)/female

0.71 male(s)/female

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

29 years (2020 est.)

3 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

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

8.2 deaths/1,000 live births

8.7 deaths/1,000 live births

77.7 years (2024 est.)

74.6 years

81 years

1.43 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.69 (2025 est.)

Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

8.1% of GDP (2021)

13.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

3.91 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

5.6 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

24.4% (2016)

9.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

4.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

3.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

1.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

0.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

32.8% (2025 est.)

33.6% (2025 est.)

32.1% (2025 est.)

50.1% (2021 est.)

4.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

8.5% national budget (2021 est.)

16 years (2022 est.)

15 years (2022 est.)

17 years (2022 est.)

Air pollution in urban areas, as well as emissions from neighboring countries; surface water pollution in the Danube River Basin

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

None of the selected agreements

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

26.6% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 15.5% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 1.4% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture: 9.6% (2023 est.)

34.7% (2023 est.)

38.2% (2023 est.)

58.6% of total population (2023)

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

16.467 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

1.335 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

9.858 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

5.275 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

15.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

1.81 million tons (2024 est.)

20% (2022 est.)

465 million cubic meters (2022)

475 million cubic meters (2022)

76 million cubic meters (2022)

105.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

3 (2024)

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

Republic of Croatia

Croatia

Republika Hrvatska

Hrvatska

People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia

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"

Parliamentary republic

Zagreb

45 48 N, 16 00 E

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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

20 counties (zupanije, singular - zupanija) 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)

Civil law system influenced by legal heritage of Austria-Hungary

Several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1990

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

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

No

At least one parent must be a citizen of Croatia

Yes

5 years

18 years of age; universal

President Zoran MILANOVIC (since 18 February 2020)

Prime Minister Andrej PLENKOVIC (since 19 October 2016)

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

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

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

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%

2029

Croatian Parliament (Hrvatski Sabor)

Unicameral

151 (all directly elected)

Proportional representation

Full renewal

4 years

4/17/2024

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)

33.1%

April 2028

Supreme Court (consists of the court president and vice president, 25 civil department justices, and 16 criminal department justices)

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

Administrative Court; county, municipal, and specialized courts

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!

Ambassador Pjer ŠIMUNOVIĆ (since 8 September 2017)

2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

[1] (202) 588-5899

[1] (202) 588-8937

Washington@mvep.hr https://mvep.gov.hr/embassy-114969/114969

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle (WA)

Anchorage (AL), Houston, Kansas City (MO),Minneapolis/St. Paul (MN), New Orleans, Pittsburgh (PA)

Ambassador Nicole McGRAW (since 21 October 2025)

Ulica Thomasa Jeffersona 2, 10010 Zagreb

5080 Zagreb Place, Washington DC 20521-5080

[385] (1) 661-2200

[385] (1) 665-8933

ZagrebACS@state.gov https://hr.usembassy.gov/

AIIB, 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, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia); notable earlier dates: ca. 925 (Kingdom of Croatia established), 1 December 1918 (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes established, later became Yugoslavia)

Statehood Day (National Day), 30 May (1990)

Description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue -- the pan-Slav colors -- with the Croatian coat of arms in the center, which consists of a main shield (a checkerboard of 13 red and 12 silver fields) with five smaller shields that form a crown over the main shield meaning: the small shields represent the five historic regions (from left to right): Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia history: Russia's 19th-century flag inspired the pan-Slav colors

Red-and-white checkerboard

Red, white, blue

"Lijepa nasa domovino" (Our Beautiful Homeland)

Antun MIHANOVIC/Josip RUNJANIN

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

10 (8 cultural, 2 natural)

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

$164.825 billion (2024 est.)

$158.769 billion (2023 est.)

$153.693 billion (2022 est.)

3.8% (2024 est.)

3.3% (2023 est.)

7.3% (2022 est.)

$42,600 (2024 est.)

$41,100 (2023 est.)

$39,900 (2022 est.)

$92.526 billion (2024 est.)

3% (2024 est.)

7.9% (2023 est.)

10.8% (2022 est.)

3.4% (2024 est.)

19.8% (2024 est.)

59.7% (2024 est.)

57% (2024 est.)

22.6% (2024 est.)

23.7% (2024 est.)

-0.2% (2024 est.)

49.8% (2024 est.)

-52.9% (2024 est.)

Maize, wheat, sugar beets, milk, barley, soybeans, sunflower seeds, potatoes, pork, grapes (2023)

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

2.1% (2024 est.)

1.733 million (2024 est.)

5.3% (2024 est.)

6.1% (2023 est.)

7% (2022 est.)

16.6% (2024 est.)

15.5% (2024 est.)

18.2% (2024 est.)

18% (2021 est.)

30 (2022 est.)

18.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

7.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

2.9% (2022 est.)

23% (2022 est.)

7.3% of GDP (2024 est.)

7.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

7.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

$32.487 billion (2023 est.)

$33.715 billion (2023 est.)

75.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

21.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

-$1.049 billion (2024 est.)

$635.97 million (2023 est.)

-$2.621 billion (2022 est.)

$46.601 billion (2024 est.)

$45.064 billion (2023 est.)

$41.907 billion (2022 est.)

Italy 14%, Germany 11%, Slovenia 11%, Bosnia & Herzegovina 6%, Austria 6% (2023)

Ships, garments, electricity, packaged medicine, wood (2023)

$49.86 billion (2024 est.)

$46.811 billion (2023 est.)

$46.769 billion (2022 est.)

Italy 14%, Germany 14%, Slovenia 11%, Hungary 6%, Austria 5% (2023)

Refined petroleum, cars, garments, natural gas, crude petroleum (2023)

$3.336 billion (2024 est.)

$3.176 billion (2023 est.)

$29.726 billion (2022 est.)

Euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.924 (2024 est.)

0.925 (2023 est.)

0.95 (2022 est.)

0.845 (2021 est.)

0.876 (2020 est.)

100% (2022 est.)

5.518 million kW (2023 est.)

16.408 billion kWh (2023 est.)

8.461 billion kWh (2023 est.)

10.038 billion kWh (2023 est.)

2.053 billion kWh (2023 est.)

31.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

1.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

14.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

48.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

3.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

596,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

1,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

663,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

70,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

71 million barrels (2021 est.)

722.231 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

2.689 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

1.119 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

2.995 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

24.919 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

79.907 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

1.1 million (2024 est.)

29 (2024 est.)

4.72 million (2024 est.)

122 (2024 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)

.hr

83% (2023 est.)

1.11 million (2023 est.)

28 (2023 est.)

9A

45 (2025)

7 (2025)

2,617 km (2020) 980 km electrified

384 (2023)

Bulk carrier 10, general cargo 32, oil tanker 14, other 328

16 (2024)

2

0

6

8

8

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

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)

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.)

Approximately 15,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)

The military's inventory is a mix of Soviet-era (largely from the former Yugoslavia) equipment and a growing amount of more modern, NATO-compatible weapon systems from suppliers such as France, Germany, Türkiye, and the US (2025)

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)

150 Kosovo (KFOR/NATO); also has a few hundred personnel participating in several other EU, NATO, and UN missions (2025)

The Armed Forces of Croatia (OSRH) are responsible for the defense of Croatia’s sovereignty and territory, contributing to international humanitarian, peacekeeping, and security missions, and providing assistance to civil authorities for such missions as responding to disasters, search and rescue, anti-terrorism, and internal security in times of crisis if called upon by the prime minister or the president; Croatia joined NATO in 2009, and the OSRH participates in NATO missions, including its peacekeeping force in Kosovo and the Enhanced Forward Presence mission in Eastern Europe; it also contributes to EU and UN missions; the OSRH trains regularly with NATO and regional partners the OSRH was established in 1991 from the Croatian National Guard during the Croatian War of Independence (1991-95); during the war, the ground forces grew to as many as 60 brigades and dozens of independent battalions, and a single military offensive against Serbian forces in 1995 included some 100,000 Croatian troops; in 2000, Croatia initiated an effort to modernize and reform the OSRH into a small, professional military capable of meeting the challenges of NATO membership (2025)

29,927 (2024 est.)

758 (2024 est.)