FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2025

Final data of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics on foreign trade in goods in 2025 show an increase in export and import of the Republic of Croatia.

Export, import, and foreign trade deficit increased, whereas the coverage of import by export remained at the same level as in 2024

According to the final data of statistics on foreign trade in goods of the Republic of Croatia, export, import and foreign trade deficit values increased, while the coverage of import by export remained almost at the same level in 2025, as compared to 2024.

The total export of the Republic of Croatia amounted to about 25 billion euro in 2025, which was an increase of about a billion euro, or approximately 5%, as compared to 2024. In the same period, the total import amounted to about 45 billion euro, which was an increase of about two billion euro, or approximately 6%, as compared to 2024.

Foreign trade deficit in 2025 amounted to about 20 billion euro, which was an increase of about 6%, or approximately a billion euro, as compared to 2024. The coverage of import by export amounted to about 56% in 2025, the same as in 2024.

Manufacturing had the most significant impact on the increase in export and import

In 2025 compared to 2024, in activity section Manufacturing, which had a share in total export of about 86%, export increased by about 7%, while import, with a share of about 87% in total import, increased by about 5%.

Machinery and transport equipment accounted for a quarter of the total export and the total import value

According to the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC), the highest values of Croatian export and import were generated in the sector Machinery and transport equipment. In 2025, export in that sector amounted to about 6 billion euro, accounting for about 25% of the total export, while import in the same period amounted to about 12 billion euro, accounting for about 27% of the total import.

Foreign trade in goods with other EU Members States on the rise

The most important market for the Republic of Croatia is the EU area, as foreign trade in goods with EU Member States accounted for about 66% of the total export in 2025, which increased by about 7% compared to 2024.

In 2025, export to the most important EU foreign trade partners, Slovenia and Germany, increased.

Germany is a partner country to which the largest quantity of goods was exported in 2025, with a share of about 13% in the total export and an increase in export of about 12% compared to 2024. In 2025, export into Germany exceeded 3 billion euro for the first time.

Import from other EU Member States in 2025 accounted for about 77% of the total import and it increased by about 4% compared to the previous year.

A significant increase in 2025 was also recorded in import from Germany and Slovenia.

The largest quantity of goods in 2025 was imported from Germany, with a share in the total import of about 15%, while compared to 2024, import increased by about 8%. The value of goods imported from Germany of around 7 billion euro is twice as high as the value of goods exported to that country.

Foreign trade in goods with non-EU countries also increased

In 2025, foreign trade in goods with third countries accounted for about 34% of the total export, which increased by about 2% compared to the previous year. At the same time, foreign trade in goods with third countries accounted for about 23% of the total import, which was an increase of 11% as compared to 2024.

In 2025, the largest share of goods exported outside the EU was exported into Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a share in the total export of about 11%. Compared to 2024, export into Bosnia and Herzegovina remained at approximately the same level.

The most important partner in import outside the EU in 2025 was China, with a share of about 4% in the total Croatian import and an increase in import of about 9%.

Republic of Croatia in the EU

According to Eurostat’s data for 2025, most of the EU Member States’ foreign trade in goods is realised within the EU, while a smaller share is realised with non-EU countries, which also applies to the Republic of Croatia.

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Sources and methods of data collection

The data source for statistics on trading in goods with EU Member States is the Intrastat form used by the reporting units to report on arrivals and/or dispatches on a monthly basis, that is, for each month in which goods physically enter or leave the territory of the Republic of Croatia. As of 1 January 2024, all goods included in purchase and sale transactions must be reported to Intrastat based on the month of the creation of the taxable event. The reporting units are all business entities, value added tax payers, whose value of trading in goods with EU Member States exceeds the exemption threshold determined for the reference year. For 2025, an exemption threshold of 450 thousand euro for arrivals and of 300 thousand euro for dispatches has been determined. In order to achieve complete harmonisation with the EU methodology and legislation, data on foreign trade in goods have been supplemented with trade value below the exemption threshold after being estimated on the basis of data on supplies and acquisitions of goods in/from EU Member States provided by the Tax Administration of the Republic of Croatia.

Based on Eurostat’s recommendation, data on import related to distance sales from other EU Member States (OSS – one-stop shop) should be compiled and included in national statistics on import.

Statistics on import from other EU Member States in 2024 and 2025 include data on distance sales provided by the Tax Administration of the Republic of Croatia.

The data source for statistics on trading in goods with third countries, that is, non-EU countries, are customs declarations on export and import of goods. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics receives the reviewed customs declarations from the Customs Administration of the Republic of Croatia in the form of data records.

Following basic methodological recommendations of the UN Statistics Division and Eurostat, the Croatian Bureau of Statistics statistically processes and disseminates the collected Intrastat and Extrastat data as unique information on foreign trade in goods of the Republic of Croatia.

Legal basis

The legal basis for conducting the Intrastat survey is the European legislation related to the statistics on trading in goods between EU Member States, Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics, the Official Statistics Act (NN, Nos 25/20., 155/23 and 124/25 – corr.), the Annual Implementation Plan of Statistical Activities of the Republic of Croatia for 2025 (NN, No. 29/25) and the Customs Service Act (NN, Nos 68/13, 30/14, 115/16, 39/19, 98/19, 155/23 and 36/24). More detailed Notes on Methodology for this survey are published on the website of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics – Intrastat (gov.hr).

The legal basis for Extrastat is the European legislation related to the statistics on trading in goods with third countries, Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1225 of 27 July 2021 specifying the arrangements for the data exchanges pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council and amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197, as regards the Member State of extra-Union export and the obligations of reporting units, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/235 of 8 February 2021 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2447 as regards formats and codes of common data requirements, certain rules on surveillance and the competent customs office for placing goods under a customs procedure, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/825 of 28 April 2025 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2447 laying down detailed rules for implementing certain provisions of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the Union Customs Code, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/1704 of 14 July 2021 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council by further specifying the details for the statistical information to be provided by tax and customs authorities and amending its Annexes V and VI, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/234 of 7 December 2020 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446 as regards common data requirements, and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/341 as regards the codes to be used in certain forms, the Act on the Implementation of the Customs Legislation of the European Union (NN, Nos 40/16 and 52/25), the Official Statistics Act (NN, Nos 25/20, 155/23 and 124/25 – corr.), the Annual Implementation Plan of Statistical Activities of the Republic of Croatia for 2025 (NN, No. 29/25) and the Customs Service Act (NN, Nos 68/13, 30/14, 115/16, 39/19, 98/19, 155/23 and 36/24).

Coverage and comparability

Statistics on foreign trade in goods include all goods exported from or imported into the country. Data on foreign trade in goods include both export and import based on gross inward and outward processing.

The statistical value of goods is the value of goods at the Croatian border. Values for export, i.e. dispatches, are shown as an FOB-type value, while values for import, i.e. arrivals, are shown as a CIF-type value.

Amounts expressed in foreign currencies are converted into euro and US dollars according to the monthly exchange rate lists determined for the reporting month. The mean exchange rate of the Croatian National Bank is used.

In certain tables, the sum total may not equal the sum of individual figures due to the rounding to thousands.

Data by type of activities have been presented according to NKD 2007 (NN, Nos 58/07 and 72/07 – correction), which entered into force on 1 January 2008 and is based on the European classification NACE, Rev. 2, which is obligatory in the EU Member States. The Decision on the National Classification of Activities, 2007 version – NKD 2007, will be applied in line with the transitional provision from Article 6 of the Decision on the National Classification of Activities, 2025 version – NKD 2025 (NN, No. 47/24): ''For statistical and analytical purposes of official statistics of the Republic of Croatia, in the transitional period until 31 December 2027, the Decision on the National Classification of Activities, 2007 version – NKD 2007 (NN, Nos 58/07 and 72/07 – correction) shall be concurrently applied'' and Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics.

Data are presented using a production approach by which export and import data are reported according to the manufacturing activity from which the product originates.

Goods listed under export and import are classified, for statistical needs, according to the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC, Rev. 4).

Data on export are shown by countries of destination, while two methodological criteria have been applied, by which data on import are shown by countries. In Extrastat, data on import are shown by countries of origin of goods, while, in Intrastat, data on arrivals of goods are presented by countries of dispatch.

OPEC membership is subject to frequent changes. More detailed information about OPEC member countries is published on the website https://www.opec.org/.

Only customs declarations containing the date of acceptance in a customs office in a particular month are processed for that month, as well as Intrastat forms submitted for the reporting month. Already issued data for previous months are changed during the current year in order to classify subsequently received and/or corrected Intrastat forms and customs declarations for earlier periods.

Monthly data are corrected until final data processing for the current year is done (the middle of the next year). Monthly data are considered provisional until the final processing of the current year and dissemination of final data is done. Monthly data for 2024 and 2025 in this First Release are considered final.

Data on foreign trade in goods are available in the time series published on the website of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics under Statistics in Line; Economy – Basic Indicators (data from 2000) and Foreign Trade in Goods (data from 2010).

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:
Milenka Primorac Čačić, Director of Business Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Director General

Prepared by:
Boro Žderić and Dubravka Drempetić

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