AVERAGE MONTHLY NET AND GROSS EARNINGS OF PERSONS IN PAID EMPLOYMENT, BY SEX, FIRST QUARTER OF 2025

Data on average earnings, by sex, were obtained by processing data from the JOPPD form and are published regularly on a quarterly basis. The processing was performed according to the predominant NKD 2007 activity, which is why data by activities are not comparable with hitherto published monthly data.

The average monthly paid net earnings per person in employment in legal entities of the Republic of Croatia in the first quarter of 2025 amounted to 1 396 euro for women and to 1 437 euro for men.

Compared to the same period of the previous year, the average net earnings increased by 12.6% for women and by 10.8% for men. The greatest increase in the average net earnings for women was recorded in Arts, entertainment and recreation, of 16.4%, while for men it was recorded in Public administration and defence; compulsory social security, of 15.8%.

In the first quarter of 2025, women had the highest net earnings in activity Information and communication, which amounted to 1 718 euro, and the lowest net earnings in Other service activities, which amounted to 1 061 euro. The highest average net earnings for men were recorded in Human health and social work activities, 2 172 euro, while the lowest net earnings were recorded in Construction, 1 107 euro.

The average monthly gross earnings per person in employment in the first quarter of 2025 amounted to 1 937 euro for women and to 1 994 euro for men.

Compared to the same period of the previous year, the average gross earnings increased by 13.7% for women and by 11.8% for men. The greatest increase in the average gross earnings for women was recorded in Arts, entertainment and recreation, of 18.3%, while for men it was recorded in Public administration and defence; compulsory social security, of 18.2%.

In the first quarter of 2025, women had the highest average gross earnings in activity Information and communication, which amounted to 2 506 euro, and the lowest gross earnings in Other service activities, which amounted to 1 428 euro. The highest average gross earnings for men were recorded in Financial and insurance activities, 3 122 euro, while the lowest gross earnings were recorded in Construction, 1 501 euro.

In the first quarter of 2025, both women and man had 168 paid hours on average. The average monthly paid net earnings per hour in the first quarter of 2025 amounted to 8.08 euro for women and to 8.29 euro for men. The average monthly gross earnings per hour in the first quarter of 2025 amounted to 11.21 euro for women and to 11.51 euro for men.

In the first quarter of 2025, women had higher average gross earnings per hour than men in four activity sections, ranging from 13.2% in Construction to 1.4% in Transportation and storage, while men had higher average gross earnings per hour than women in the remaining fifteen activity sections, ranging from 23.2% in Financial and insurance activities to 3.2% in Administrative and support service activities.

Detailed data can be downloaded on the link Statistics in Line.

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Data sources

Data on monthly net and gross earnings as well as data on paid hours were gathered by processing data from the Report on Income, Income Tax and Surtax as well as Contributions for Mandatory Insurances (JOPPD form), in effect since 1 January 2014.

All persons or entities that are the payers of income for which the income tax regulations prescribe the obligation of accounting and paying deduction tax are under the obligation to submit the JOPPD form.

Coverage and comparability

Data comprise persons in employment in legal entities of all types of ownership, government bodies, and bodies of local and regional self-government units, on the territory of the Republic of Croatia.

Persons employed in crafts and trades and free lances and employed insured persons – private farmers are not covered, so data on their pays are not included in the data on average earnings.

Data on monthly net and gross earnings of persons employed in legal entities include net and gross earnings of persons in permanent employment, irrespective of the kind of employment and number of working-hours.

Persons in part-time employment who received earnings are expressed in full-time equivalent.

Data on monthly net and gross earnings are presented according to realised payments in the current for the previous month, which is in line with the payment dynamics in most legal entities, so the average earnings refer to the month for which the pay has been received. It does not apply to paid non-taxable incomes.

Data are presented on the basis of a dominant, main activity according to NKD 2007, while the monthly data published to date were presented on the basis of a “pure” activity. This means that the processing, in addition to the main activity, was performed by auxiliary activities as well, which is why the data by activities are not comparable with hitherto published monthly data.

Definitions

Average monthly paid net earnings comprise income of a person in employment earned for the work done during regular working hours as well as annual leave, paid leave, public holidays and days-off as prescribed by law, sickness leave up to 42 days, absence for continuing professional education, during lay-off and job stop caused against person’s will and of no fault of his own and net pays on the basis of compensations, allowances and rewards in sums which are subjects to contributions, taxes and surtaxes.

Average monthly gross earnings include all kinds of net pays on the basis of employment and the following mandatory allocations: pension insurance contributions, income tax and surtax on income tax.

Number of paid hours is a number of hours for which persons in employment were paid. They include hours actually worked (hours done during regular working time and overtime hours) and hours not actually worked (annual leave, holidays, sick leave lasting less than 42 days and other paid hours not actually done). Paid hours do not include working hours not actually worked which are paid outside a legal entity (sick leave hours lasting over 42 days, maternity leave hours, hours of shorter working time done by parents, etc.).

Average monthly net and gross earnings per person in employment are calculated by dividing the total of payments with the number of persons in employment expressed in full-time equivalent.

Average monthly net and gross earnings per paid hour are calculated by dividing the total of payments with the total number of paid hours.

Indices of nominal net and gross earnings are calculated from the data on average monthly net and gross earnings for the respective months and year.

Abbreviations

Published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, Ilica 3, P. O. B. 80
Phone: (+385 1) 48 06 111
Press corner: press@dzs.hr

Persons responsible:
Mario Vlajčević, Director of Demographic and Social Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Director General

Prepared by:
Dean Maslovara, Snježana Varga and Borislav Maoduš

USERS ARE KINDLY REQUESTED TO STATE THE SOURCE.

Customer Relations and Data Protection Department

Information and user requests
Phone: (+385 1) 48 06 138, 48 06 154, 48 06 115
E-mail: stat.info@dzs.hr

Subscription
Phone: (+385 1) 21 00 455
E-mail: prodaja@dzs.hr