MIGRATION OF POPULATION OF REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2020

 

Data on international and internal migration of the population of the Republic of Croatia are presented for the period from 2011 to 2020 and data at the county level for the period from 2016 to 2020.

 

International migration

In 2020, a total of 33 414 persons immigrated to the Republic of Croatia and 34 046 persons emigrated from it. The Republic of Croatia had a negative net migration with foreign countries, which amounted to -632.

In 2020, a total of 25.3% of Croatian citizens and 74.7% of foreigners immigrated into the Republic of Croatia, while 61.4% of Croatian citizens and 38.6% of foreigners emigrated abroad.

In the total number of immigrants and emigrants, there is a significant share of foreigners within the annual quotas of permits for the employment.

Out of the total number of immigrants, 28.2% of persons arrived from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Out of the total number of emigrants from the Republic of Croatia, 34.2% of persons emigrated to Germany.

With regard to sex structure, there were more men (74.6%) in the total number of immigrants. Out of the total number of emigrants, there were also more men (64.4%). The largest number of persons who emigrated abroad were aged 20 − 39 (47.1%).

In 2020, the greatest share in the total number of persons who immigrated to the Republic of Croatia was recorded in the City of Zagreb (20.0%) and the County of Istria (11.4%). The largest share in the total number of emigrants from the Republic of Croatia to foreign countries was recorded in the City of Zagreb (17.6%), followed by the County of Split-Dalmatia (9.6%) and the County of Primorje-Gorski kotar (7.7%).

 

Internal migration

In 2020, there were 64 155 persons who changed their place of residence within the Republic of Croatia.

The largest number of persons who migrated within the Republic of Croatia were aged 20 − 39 (47.1%), while the share of women in the total number of persons who migrated was 54.1%.

Within the total number of persons who migrated on the territory of the Republic of Croatia in 2020, the largest number of persons (41.2%) migrated between counties, 38.7% of persons migrated between towns/municipalities of the same county and 20.1% of persons migrated between settlements of the same town/municipality.

The majority of migrations between towns/municipalities within the same county in 2020 were recorded in the County of Split-Dalmatia and the County of Primorje-Gorski kotar. The majority of migrations between counties were recorded in the City of Zagreb and the County of Zagreb.

Out of the total of twenty counties and the City of Zagreb, five counties and the City of Zagreb had a positive net migration between counties (the number of immigrants was larger than the number of emigrants) and the highest one was recorded in the County of Zagreb (1 315 persons). Fifteen counties had a negative net migration between counties, the largest ones being recorded in the County of Sisak-Moslavina (-368 persons) and the County of Slavonski Brod-Posavina (-362 persons).

 

The total migration of population in 2020

The largest positive total net migration of population in 2020 (the difference between the total number of immigrants from another county and abroad, and the total number of emigrants to another county and abroad) was recorded in the City of Zagreb (1 623 persons). The largest negative total net migration of population was recorded in the County of Vukovar-Sirmium (-1 324 persons) and the County of Osijek-Baranja (-948 persons).

 

I INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION

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II INTERNAL MIGRATION

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III TOTAL MIGRATION IN 2020

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NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Data source

Surveys on internal and international migration of population of the Republic of Croatia are carried out based on data collected by the Ministry of the Interior.

The Permanent Residence Act (NN, Nos 144/12 and 158/13) lays down the conditions governing the registration and deregistration of permanent and temporary residence of Croatian citizens. The Foreigners Act (NN, Nos 130/11, 74/13, 69/17, 46/18 and 53/20) and the Act on Nationals of the European Economic Area Member States and Their Family Members (NN, Nos 66/19 and 53/20) regulate conditions for the entry, movement, stay and work of foreigners in the Republic of Croatia.

 

Coverage and comparability

Since 2011, international migration statistics have been processed according to the methodology based on the UN Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration and the Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection.

The statistical definition of international migrant is based on the concept of usual residence. According to this concept, immigrants from abroad and emigrants to foreign countries are persons who have changed their country of usual residence for a period that is, or is expected to be, of at least one year.

Data on migration encompass Croatian citizens and foreigners who have been granted temporary or permanent stay in the Republic of Croatia.

According to the methodology that was used until 2010, the international migration statistics included the citizens of the Republic of Croatia and foreigners with the granted permanent stay in the Republic of Croatia who registered or cancelled their place of permanent residence in the Republic of Croatia.

Due to the implementation of the Permanent Residence Act (NN, Nos 144/12 and 158/13), data from 2013 onwards have included persons who were absent for more than a year from their permanent residence for temporary stay outside the Republic of Croatia and reported their absence to the Ministry of the Interior.

 

Definitions and explanations

Migration is the spatial movement of people.

A migrant is a person who changed a place of residence (immigrant, emigrant).

Internal migration of population is the change of a place of residence on the territory of the Republic of Croatia.

International migration of population is the change of a country of usual residence.

The internal migration statistics collects and processes data on migration flows of population on the territory of the Republic of Croatia, that is, the data on number and characteristics of persons who changed their place of residence in a given calendar year.

The international migration statistics collects and processes data on international migration flows, that is, the data on number and characteristics of persons who changed their country of usual residence in a given calendar year.

Place of permanent residence, according to Article 2 of the Permanent Residence Act, is a place and address in the Republic of Croatia where a person settled with an intention of staying permanently in order to exercise their rights and commitments related to life interests such as family, professional, economic, social, cultural and other interests.

Place of temporary residence, according to Article 2 of the Permanent Residence Act, is a place and address in the Republic of Croatia where a person resides temporarily but without an intention of settling there.

Citizenship is defined as person's permanent legal relation with a state, which admits a special legal status to a person. Croatian citizenship can be obtained according to the Croatian Citizenship Act (NN, Nos 53/91, 70/91, 28/92, 113/93, 4/94, 130/11, 110/15 and 102/19) by origin, birth on the territory of the Republic of Croatia, naturalisation and on the basis of international contracts. Citizenship of the Republic of Croatia terminates: by discharge, renouncement and in accordance with international agreements.

Foreigner, according to Article 2 of the Foreigners Act, is any person who is not a Croatian national, but has the nationality of one of the Member States of the European Economic Area (EEA), the Swiss Confederation, the nationality of third-country or is a stateless person.

EEA national means a foreigner having the nationality of one of the EEA Member States (the European Union, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland).

Third-country national is foreigner who is not national of the EEA Member States or the Swiss Confederation.

Temporary stay, according to Article 47 of the Foreigners Act, shall be granted to a third-country national who intends to stay or stays in the Republic of Croatia for the following purposes:

1. Family reunification
2. Secondary school education and university studies
3. Scientific research
4. Humanitarian grounds
5. Life partnership
6. Work
7. Work of posted workers.

Exceptionally, a third-country national may be granted a temporary stay up to one year for other purposes as well. According to Article 52 of the Foreigners Act, a temporary stay permit shall be issued for the term of validity of up to one year.

According to Article 15 of the Act on nationals of the European Economic Area Member States and their family members, EEA national who intends to stay in the Republic of Croatia for more than three months have to register their temporary stay.

Permanent stay, according to Article 92 of the Foreigners Act, may be granted to a third-country national who, before the submission of the related application in the Republic of Croatia, had legal residence in an uninterrupted period of five years, including granted temporary residence, asylum or subsidiary protection.

According to Article 27 of the Act on nationals of the European Economic Area Member States and their family members, EEA nationals are entitled to permanent stay after five years of uninterrupted legal stay in the Republic of Croatia.

In exceptional cases, foreigners can be entitled to permanent stay even before their five-year uninterrupted legal stay (these exceptions are prescribed by law).

Net migration of population (migration balance) is the difference between the number of immigrants and emigrants of a particular area or country in a given period of time. The contribution of migration to overall population growth or decline is due to positive or negative net migration (net migration is positive when the number of immigrants exceeds the number of emigrants, or net migration is negative when the opposite is true).

Total net migration of population of the county is the difference between the total number of immigrants from another county and abroad and the total number of emigrants to another county and abroad.

Age of migrants is presented as an age reached at the moment of migration. Each age group includes persons who reached age within limits of an interval. For example, the age group from 15 to 19 years includes all persons who have reached 15 years and more, but have not yet turned 20.

 

Territorial constitution

Data on migration are presented by territorial constitution as on 31 December 2020, according to the Act on the Territories of Counties, Towns and Municipalities in the Republic of Croatia (NN, No. 86/06).

 

Abbreviations
EC	European Community
EEA	European Economic Area
NN	Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia
UN	United Nations
USA	United States of America
Symbols
-	no occurrence

 

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Lidija Brković, Director General

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Grozdana Stolnik

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