MIGRATION OF POPULATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2025

Data on the international and internal migration of the population of the Republic of Croatia for the period from 2016 to 2025 and data at the county level for the period from 2021 to 2025 are presented.

International migration

In 2025, a total of 56 665 persons immigrated to the Republic of Croatia and 37 485 persons emigrated from it. The Republic of Croatia had a positive net migration with foreign countries, which amounted to 19 180.

In 2025, a total of 29.7% of Croatian citizens and 70.3% of aliens immigrated into the Republic of Croatia, while 35.0% of Croatian citizens and 65.0% of aliens emigrated abroad.

In the total number of immigrants and emigrants, there is a significant share of aliens who have been issued stay and work permits. The total number of immigrants from abroad includes displaced persons from Ukraine who were granted temporary protection in the Republic of Croatia.

Out of the total number of immigrants to the Republic of Croatia, 17.0% of persons arrived from Germany, 11.1% of persons arrived from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 11.1% from Nepal. Out of the total number of emigrants from the Republic of Croatia, the majority of them, 16.6%, emigrated to Germany.

With regard to sex structure, there was a higher share of men (66.3%) in the total number of immigrants. In the total number of emigrants, there was a higher share of men (73.7%) as well. The largest number of persons who emigrated abroad were aged 20 to 39 years (54.2%).

In 2025, the largest shares in the total number of persons who immigrated to the Republic of Croatia were recorded in the City of Zagreb (18.3%), the County of Split-Dalmatia (11.0%), and the County of Istria (10.5%). The largest share in the total number of emigrants from the Republic of Croatia to foreign countries was recorded in the City of Zagreb (21.1%), followed by the County of Zagreb (8.5%), the County of Istria (8.3%), and the County of Split-Dalmatia (8.3%).

Internal migration

In 2025, there were 73 838 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 to 39 years (46.7%), while the share of women in the total number of persons who migrated was 54.3%.

Within the total number of persons who migrated on the territory of the Republic of Croatia in 2025, the largest number of persons (40.8%) migrated between counties, 37.7% of persons migrated between towns/municipalities of the same county, and 21.5% of persons migrated between settlements of the same town/municipality.

The majority of migrations between towns/municipalities within the same county in 2025 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 20 counties and the City of Zagreb, seven counties 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 (1 937 persons). Thirteen counties and the City of Zagreb had a negative net migration between counties, the highest ones being recorded in the County of Slavonski Brod-Posavina (-522 persons) and the County of Vukovar-Srijem (-463 persons).

The total migration of the population in 2025

The largest positive total net migration of the population in 2025 (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 County of Zagreb (3 475 persons) and the County of Istria (3 275 persons). The largest negative total net migration of the population was recorded in the County of Sisak-Moslavina (-558 persons) and the County of Slavonski Brod-Posavina (-205 persons).

 

I INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION

II INTERNAL MIGRATION

III TOTAL MIGRATION IN 2025

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Data source

Surveys on the internal and international migration of the 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, 158/13 and 114/22) lays down the conditions governing the registration and deregistration of permanent and temporary residence of Croatian citizens. The Aliens Act (NN, Nos 133/20, 114/22, 151/22 and 40/25) lays down the conditions of entry, movement, stay and work of aliens who are third-country nationals in the Republic of Croatia. The Act on Nationals of the European Economic Area Member States and Their Family Members (NN, Nos 66/19, 53/20, 144/20 and 114/22) regulate conditions for the entry, movement, stay and work of nationals of the European Economic Area (hereinafter referred to as: EEA) Member States and their family members.

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 and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 311/76 on the compilation of statistics on foreign workers.

The statistical definition of an 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 migrations encompass Croatian citizens and aliens 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 aliens 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, 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 the population is the change of a place of residence on the territory of the Republic of Croatia.

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

The internal migration statistics collects and processes data on the migration flows of the population on the territory of the Republic of Croatia, that is, the data on the 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 the international migration flows, that is, the data on the 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 a 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, 102/19 and 138/21) 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 is terminated by discharge, renouncement and in accordance with international agreements.

Alien, according to Article 3 of the Aliens Act, 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 a third country or is a stateless person.

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

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

Third country shall mean a state other than an EEA Member State or the Swiss Confederation.

Temporary stay, according to Article 57 of the Aliens 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
3. University studies
4. Scientific research
5. Humanitarian grounds
6. Life partnership
7. Work
8. Work of posted workers coming from another EEA Member State or the Swiss Confederation for more than 90 days in any 180-day period
9. Stay of persons with long-term residence in another EEA Member State
10. Other purposes
11. Stay of digital nomads
12. Immigration and the return of Croatian emigrants.

 

According to Article 61 of the Aliens Act, a temporary stay permit shall be issued for the term of validity of up to one year. The period of validity of a temporary stay permit may differ depending on the purpose of stay, in accordance with the Act.

According to Article 15 of the Act on Nationals of the European Economic Area Member States and Their Family Members, an EEA national who intends to stay in the Republic of Croatia for more than three months has to register a temporary stay. A national of an EEA Member State may register a temporary stay for the purpose of:

1. Work
2. University studies or vocational training
3. Other purposes
4. Family reunification
5. Life partnership.

Permanent stay, according to Article 3 of the Aliens Act, shall mean legal stay granted to certain categories of third-country nationals staying in the Republic of Croatia for a period shorter than five years (the conditions for granting permanent stay are prescribed by law).

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. The law prescribes specific exceptions, that is, categories of persons who can exercise the right to permanent residence even if they have legally stayed in the Republic of Croatia for a shorter period of time.

Net migration of the 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 the 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 an age within the 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 2025, according to the Act on the Territories of Counties, Towns and Municipalities in the Republic of Croatia (NN, Nos 86/06, 125/06, 16/07, 95/08, 46/10, 145/10, 37/13, 44/13, 45/13 and 110/15).

 

Abbreviations
EC	European Community
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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