SHORT-TERM INDICATORS OF ENERGY STATISTICS,
MARCH 2026, FIRST RESULTS

In March 2026, electricity available for the inland market amounted to 1 606 GWh. The availability of electricity for domestic consumption increased by 2.4% compared to February 2026 and by 1.2% compared to March 2025.

The amount of natural gas available for consumption in March 2026 was 8 888 TJ, while the stocks increased by 979 TJ. The amount of natural gas available for domestic consumption in March 2026 decreased by 22.8% compared to February 2026 and by 10.2% compared to March 2025.

The amount of petroleum products available for consumption in March 2026 was 299 thousand tonnes, while the stocks increased by 26 000 tonnes. The amount of petroleum products available for domestic consumption in March 2026 increased by 15.9% compared to February 2026 and by 11.6% compared to March 2025.

The amount of electricity available for consumption also includes losses in the electricity network.

As for other energy products, the quantity available for the inland market also contains the quantities of energy products that may end up in warehouses, either in those of final consumers or in retail trade.

3 HYDROCARBONS

4 CRUDE FUELS

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

The data are based on several statistical surveys, as follows: the Monthly Survey on Industrial Production and Persons Employed (IND-1/KPS/M form), the Monthly Survey on Oil Refineries (ERG-1/N form), the Monthly Survey on Import, Export and Stocks of Petroleum and Petroleum Products (ERG-2/N form), the Monthly Survey on Import, Export, Stocks and Deliveries of Natural Gas (ERG-1/P form), the Monthly Survey on Import, Export, Stocks, Deliveries and Consumption of Coal and Coke (ERG-1/U form), and the Monthly Survey on Power Plants (ERG-1/EL form), as well as on the data on foreign trade in goods of the Republic of Croatia and administrative data sources (part of the data on net electricity production was taken from HERA).

The monthly data are used for monitoring the changes in energy products according to the mentioned characteristics. Their sum for 12 months does not represent the annual balance data, due to the fast output of monthly data or the fact that some deliveries are cancelled, which may lead to slight deviations from the monthly data. For that reason, the following sources of annual data are recommended: the annual Statistical Report entitled "Energy Statistics" published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics and the annual energy review entitled "Energy in Croatia" published by the Ministry of Economy.

Gross electricity production is the sum of the total electrical energy production by all the generating sets concerned (hydro power plants, thermal power plants and CHP on fossil fuels, thermal power plants and CHP on renewable fuels, wind power plants and solar power plants).

Net electricity production is the electrical energy supplied from a power station to a power-supply grid, and it represents the difference between the electrical energy produced in a generator and own supply.

Geothermal power plants produce energy available as heat emitted from within the Earth's crust, usually in the form of hot water or steam, excluding the surrounding heat collected by the heat pumps from the ground. This energy production is the difference between the enthalpy of the fluid produced in the production borehole and that of the fluid eventually disposed of.

Energy available for consumption is the quantity of energy products available for final consumption on the inland market, including losses and stocks at final consumers and in retail trade.

Crude oil is a mineral oil of natural origin that includes a mixture of hydrocarbons and associated impurities, such as sulphur. It exists in the liquid phase under normal surface temperature and pressure and its physical characteristics (density, viscosity, etc.) are highly variable. This category includes field or lease condensates recovered from associated and non-associated gases where it is commingled with the commercial crude oil stream.

Natural gas is comprised of gases, occurring naturally in underground deposits, whether liquefied or gaseous, consisting mainly of methane. It includes both "non-associated" gas originating from fields producing hydrocarbons only in gaseous form, and "associated" gas produced in association with crude oil, as well as methane recovered from coal mines (colliery gas). Manufactured gas (produced from municipal or industrial waste or sewage) is also included, while vented or flared quantities of natural gas are excluded.

Petroleum products are all products produced in petroleum refineries: refinery gas, liquefied petroleum gas, motor gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel, diesel oil, light fuel oil, fuel oil, naphtha, white spirit, lubricating oils, bitumen, paraffin waxes, petroleum coke and other refinery products.

Other petroleum products encompass liquefied petroleum gas in NGL plants.

Import includes the quantities of energy products that crossed the state border of the Republic of Croatia, regardless of whether or not they were cleared through the customs. The quantities of petroleum and petroleum products and liquid gas that are under contracts on production realised abroad are also to be presented in this table as import. Energy products in transit through the Republic of Croatia are not presented in this survey form either as import or as export.

Export includes the quantities that crossed the state border of the Republic of Croatia, regardless of whether or not they were cleared through the customs and whether or not they are owned by a Croatian resident.

For import and export of electricity, Eurostat’s definition is used, which includes transit: amounts of electricity are considered imported or exported when they have crossed the political boundaries of a country, regardless of whether customs clearance has taken place or not. If electricity transits through a country, the amount should be reported as both import and export.

Variation of stocks includes stock changes at the beginning and at the end of a month in enterprises engaged in the production, transformation, import and export of energy. The difference is calculated by subtracting the state of stocks at the beginning of the first working day in a month from the state of stocks at the end of the last day in the same month.

Minor deviations may occur in the summary presentation of data due to the rounding of figures.

 

Abbreviations
CHP	combined heat and power generation
Eurostat	Statistical Office of the European Union
GCV	gross calorific value
GWh	gigawatt hour
HERA	Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency
m3	cubic metre
mln	million
NGL	natural gas liquids
TJ	terajoule
'000	thousand

 

Symbols
-	no occurrence

 

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:
Edita Omerzo, Director of Spatial Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Director General

Prepared by:
Darko Jukić, Ana Grabić, Mirjana Petanjek and Željka Oršanić Kelebuh

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