COLLECTION, PURIFICATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF WATER, 2025

In 2025, as compared to 2024, the total amount of abstracted water increased by 3.2%.

In 2025, the total volume of abstracted water amounted to 567 681 thousand m³. Out of that quantity, 451 826 thousand m³ of water were abstracted from ground sources, 52 114 thousand m³ from surface waters and 63 741 thousand m³ from other water supply systems.

The total abstracted volume of water increased by 2.3% in 2025 compared to 2024, while the volume of water abstracted from other water systems increased by 10.9%. In the public water supply system, losses of water in 2025 amounted to 232 307 thousand m³, which was 6.8% more than in 2024.

The total volume of water distributed from the public water supply in 2025 amounted to 330 474 thousand m³, which was 1.2% more than in 2024. The total quantity of sold water in 2025 increased by 2.0% compared to 2024. Households were the major consumers, with 185 728 thousand m³, or 56.2%, of distributed water in 2025.

The number of settlements connected to the public water mains in 2025 was 5 628, which was an increase of 1.4% compared to 2024.

The total length of public water mains was 51 605 km, which was an increase of 1.4% compared to 2024.

More detailed data will be available in the database on 17 July 2026.

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Sources and methods of data collection

Data on the public water supply are collected through the annual statistical survey entitled the Annual Survey on Water Supply System (VOD-2V form) on the basis of the Official Statistics Act (NN, Nos 25/20, 155/23, 124/25 – corr. and 69/26).

Reporting units are public water suppliers of public water services. According to the Water Act (NN, No. 47/23), the public water supplier of public water services is a company in which all shares or equity shares are held directly by local self-government units, that is, an institution founded by a local self-government unit.

The report is filled in by legal entities and parts thereof registered according to the NKD 2025 (NN, No. 47/24) in section E Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities, class 36.00 Water collection, treatment and supply.

Coverage and comparability

The source for the address list is the Statistical Business Register.

The survey provides data on supplied water, distributed water and public water main network.

Definitions

Public water supply means the activity of abstracting groundwater and surface water intended for human consumption and its conditioning, as well as their delivery to the end user or another water service provider, if the mentioned operations are conducted through public water supply facilities. It also includes management of the above-mentioned facilities, or delivery in some other way prescribed by law (tanks, aquifers, etc.).

Water supply from public water supply system is the total volume of water abstracted from groundwater (underground sources and springs), surface waters (watercourses, reservoirs and lakes) and the total volume of water abstracted from other water supply systems.

Abstracted volume of water is the total volume of water abstracted from all water sources. Water sources may be ground and surface ones. Public springs are all sources that are used in supplying of water mains, such as underground aquifers, springs, watercourses, reservoirs and lakes.

Distributed volume of water is the volume of water sold to consumers (households and economy) and to other water supply systems, water used in own water supply system and volume of uncharged water.

Total water losses are losses actually found in public water main network, caused by mechanical malfunctions or installation defects on water mains.

The length of the public water main network consists of the length of water mains and the length of distribution network.

The length of water mains is the length of pipes used for the supply of water and reaching of the required pressure.

The length of distribution network is the length of the water main network from the tank to the consumer (excluded are the length of connections and network in a building).

Published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, Ilica 3, P. O. B. 80
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Persons responsible:
Edita Omerzo, Director of Spatial Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Director General

Prepared by:
Darko Jukić, Gordana Lepčević, Željka Kovaček Čuklić and Bernarda Šimunić

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