Croatia

Broadcast media

the national state-owned public broadcaster, Croatian Radiotelevision, operates 4 terrestrial TV networks, a satellite channel that rebroadcasts programs for Croatians living abroad, and 6 regional TV centers; 2 private broadcasters operate national terrestrial networks; roughly 25 privately owned regional TV stations; multi-channel cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; state-owned public broadcaster operates 3 national radio networks and 9 regional radio stations; 2 privately owned national radio networks and more than 170 regional, county, city, and community radio stations (2012)

Internet country code

.hr

Internet users

total: 3,135,949 | percent of population: 72.7% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 86

Telephone system

general assessment: the telecommunications network has improved steadily since the mid-1990s, covering much of what were once inaccessible areas; local lines are digital | domestic: fixed-line teledensity has dropped somewhat to about 33 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions now even with the population | international: country code - 385; digital international service is provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic project, which consists of 2 fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; the ADRIA-1 submarine cable provides connectivity to Albania and Greece (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 1,435,977 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 4,414,347 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 102 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123

Agriculture - products

arable crops (wheat, corn, barley, sugar beet, sunflower, rapeseed, alfalfa, clover); vegetables (potatoes, cabbage, onion, tomato, pepper); fruits (apples, plum, mandarins, olives), grapes for wine; livestock (cattle, cows, pigs); dairy products

Budget

revenues: $23.99 billion | expenditures: $24.39 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.8% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Central bank discount rate

7% (31 December 2013) | 7% (31 December 2012) | country comparison to the world: 52

Commercial bank prime lending rate

4.85% (31 December 2016 est.) | 5.83% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145

Current account balance

$1.326 billion (2016 est.) | $2.284 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40

Debt - external

$45.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $49.33 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

Distribution of family income - Gini index

32 (2010) | 29 (1998) | country comparison to the world: 114

Economy - overview

Though still one of the wealthiest of the former Yugoslav republics, Croatia's economy suffered badly during the 1991-95 war. The country's output during that time collapsed, and Croatia missed the early waves of investment in Central and Eastern Europe that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Between 2000 and 2007, however, Croatia's economic fortunes began to improve with moderate but steady GDP growth between 4% and 6%, led by a rebound in tourism and credit-driven consumer spending. Inflation over the same period remained tame and the currency, the kuna, stable. | Croatia experienced an abrupt slowdown in the economy in 2008 and is slowly recovering; economic growth was stagnant or negative in each year since 2009, but picked up in 2015-16. Difficult problems still remain including a stubbornly high unemployment rate, uneven regional development, and a challenging investment climate. In 2016 Croatia demonstrated a commitment to improving the business climate, simplifying its tax code to stimulate growth from domestic consumption and foreign investment. Even before 2016, Croatia has worked to become a regional energy player and plans to import liquefied natural gas through a prospective import terminal and re-export it to European consumers. | On 1 July 2013, Croatia joined the EU, following a decade-long application process. Croatia will be a member of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, with its currency effectively pegged to the euro, until it meets the criteria for joining the Economic and Monetary Union and adopts the euro as its currency. EU accession has increased pressure on the government to reduce Croatia’s relatively high public debt, which triggered the EU’s excessive deficit procedure for fiscal consolidation. Zagreb has cut spending since 2012, and the government also raised additional revenues through more stringent tax collection and by raising the value-added tax. The government has also sought to accelerate privatization of non-strategic assets, with mixed success.

Exchange rates

kuna (HRK) per US dollar - | 6.806 (2016 est.) | 6.806 (2015 est.) | 6.8583 (2014 est.) | 5.7482 (2013 est.) | 5.85 (2012 est.)

Exports

$11.63 billion (2016 est.) | $11.32 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Exports - commodities

transport equipment, machinery, textiles, chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels

Exports - partners

Italy 13.5%, Slovenia 12.3%, Germany 11.6%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 9.2%, Austria 6.3%, Serbia 4.2% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$50.73 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$95.65 billion (2016 est.) | $91.71 billion (2015 est.) | $88.74 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 85

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 57.9% | government consumption: 19.2% | investment in fixed capital: 20.1% | investment in inventories: -0.3% | exports of goods and services: 49.7% | imports of goods and services: -46.6% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 4.1% | industry: 26.5% | services: 69.4% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$22,900 (2016 est.) | $22,100 (2015 est.) | $21,400 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 82

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2016 est.) | 2.2% (2015 est.) | -0.5% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 100

Gross national saving

22.4% of GDP (2016 est.) | 24.6% of GDP (2015 est.) | 20.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.3% | highest 10%: 27.5% (2008 est.)

Imports

$19.76 billion (2016 est.) | $19.06 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71

Imports - commodities

machinery, transport and electrical equipment; chemicals, fuels and lubricants; foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Germany 16.1%, Italy 12.6%, Slovenia 10.9%, Austria 7.9%, Hungary 7.1% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

4.6% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 51

Industries

chemicals and plastics, machine tools, fabricated metal, electronics, pig iron and rolled steel products, aluminum, paper, wood products, construction materials, textiles, shipbuilding, petroleum and petroleum refining, food and beverages, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-1.1% (2016 est.) | -0.5% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Labor force

1.617 million (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 1.9% | industry: 27.6% | services: 70.4% (2014)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$36.29 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $33.75 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | $33.44 billion (31 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60

Population below poverty line

19.5% (2014 est.)

Public debt

83.8% of GDP (2016 est.) | 86.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 31

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$14.24 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $14.97 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Stock of broad money

$41.97 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $41.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 69

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$7.757 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $8.032 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$41.63 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $39.76 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60

Stock of domestic credit

$41.38 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $42.41 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

Stock of narrow money

$11.64 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $10.11 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80

Taxes and other revenues

47.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 19

Unemployment rate

15% (2016 est.) | 17.1% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

19 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Crude oil - imports

47,200 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55

Crude oil - production

13,580 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Crude oil - proved reserves

71 million bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 78

Electricity - consumption

15.8 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Electricity - exports

1.858 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46

Electricity - from fossil fuels

43.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 164

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

39% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 53

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 109

Electricity - from other renewable sources

12% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62

Electricity - imports

8.64 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29

Electricity - installed generating capacity

4.915 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Electricity - production

10.82 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption

3.59 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

Natural gas - exports

422 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

Natural gas - imports

1.072 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Natural gas - production

1.829 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Natural gas - proved reserves

24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 73

Refined petroleum products - consumption

69,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Refined petroleum products - exports

33,660 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58

Refined petroleum products - imports

31,840 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 100

Refined petroleum products - production

65,860 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75

Area

total: 56,594 sq km | land: 55,974 sq km | water: 620 sq km | country comparison to the world: 128

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Climate

Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast

Coastline

5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)

Elevation

mean elevation: 331 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m | highest point: Dinara 1,831 m

Environment - current issues

air pollution improving but still a concern in urban settings and in emissions arriving from neighboring countries; surface water pollution in the Danube River Basin

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

45 10 N, 15 30 E

Geography - note

controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits; most Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia - some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks

Irrigated land

240 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 2,237 km | border countries (5): Bosnia and Herzegovina 956 km, Hungary 348 km, Montenegro 19 km, Serbia 314 km, Slovenia 600 km

Land use

agricultural land: 23.7% | arable land 16%; permanent crops 1.5%; permanent pasture 6.2% | forest: 34.4% | other: 41.9% (2011 est.)

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes

Natural resources

oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower

Population - distribution

more of the population lives in the northern half of the country, with approximately a quarter of the populace residing in and around the capital of Zagreb; many of the islands are sparsely populated

Terrain

geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands

Administrative divisions

20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 1 city* (grad - singular) with special county status; Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska(Bjelovar-Bilogora), Brodsko-Posavska (Brod-Posavina), Dubrovacko-Neretvanska (Dubrovnik-Neretva), Istarska (Istria), Karlovacka (Karlovac), Koprivnicko-Krizevacka (Koprivnica-Krizevci), Krapinsko-Zagorska (Krapina-Zagorje), Licko-Senjska (Lika-Senj), Medimurska (Medimurje), Osjecko-Baranjska (Osijek-Baranja), Pozesko-Slavonska (Pozega-Slavonia), Primorsko-Goranska (Primorje-Gorski Kotar), Sibensko-Kninska (Sibenik-Knin), Sisacko-Moslavacka (Sisak-Moslavina), Splitsko-Dalmatinska (Split-Dalmatia), Varazdinska (Varazdin), Viroviticko-Podravska (Virovitica-Podravina), Vukovarsko-Srijemska (Vukovar-Syrmia), Zadarska (Zadar), Zagreb*, Zagrebacka (Zagreb county)

Capital

name: Zagreb | geographic coordinates: 45 48 N, 16 00 E | time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Croatia | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1990 | amendments: proposed by at least one-fifth of the Assembly membership, by the president of the republic, by the Government of Croatia, or through petition by at least 10% of the total electorate; proceedings to amend require majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; passage by petition requires a majority vote in a referendum, and promulgation by the Assembly; amended several times, last in 2014 (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Croatia | conventional short form: Croatia | local long form: Republika Hrvatska | local short form: Hrvatska | former: People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia | etymology: name derives from the Croats, a Slavic tribe who migrated to the Balkans in the 7th century A.D.

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Julieta Valls NOYES (since 5 October 2015) | embassy: 2 Thomas Jefferson Street, 10010 Zagreb | mailing address: use embassy street address | telephone: [385] (1) 661-2200 | FAX: [385] (1) 661-2373

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Pjer SIMUNOVIC (since 8 September 2017) | chancery: 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899 | FAX: [1] (202) 588-8936 | consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC (since 19 February 2015) | head of government: Prime Minister Andrej PLENKOVIC (since 19 October 2016); Deputy Prime Ministers Damir KRSTICEVIC (since 19 October 2016), Martina DALIC (since 19 October 2016), Predrag STROMAR (since 9 June 2017), and Marija Pejcinovic BURIC (since 19 June 2017) | cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the Assembly | elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 December 2014 and 11 January 2015 (next to be held in 2019); the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president and approved by the Assembly | election results: Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC elected president; percent of vote in the second round - Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC (HDZ) 50.7%, Ivo JOSIPOVIC (Forward Croatia Progressive Alliance) 49.3%

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue - the Pan-Slav colors - superimposed by the Croatian coat of arms; the coat of arms consists of one main shield (a checkerboard of 13 red and 12 silver (white) fields) surmounted by five smaller shields that form a crown over the main shield; the five small shields represent five historic regions (from left to right): Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia | note: the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EMU, EU, FAO, G-11, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the court president and vice president, 25 civil department justices, and 16 criminal department justices) | judge selection and term of office: president of Supreme Court nominated by president of Croatia and elected by Croatian Sabor for a 4-year term; other Supreme Court justices appointed by National Judicial Council; all judges serve until age 70 | subordinate courts: Administrative Court; county, municipal, and specialized courts; note - there is an 11-member Constitutional Court with jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues but is outside Croatia's judicial system

Legal system

civil law system influenced by legal heritage of Austria-Hungary; note - Croatian law was fully harmonized with the European Community acquis as of the June 2010 completion of EU accession negotiations

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Assembly or Hrvatski Sabor (151 seats; 140 members in 10 multi-seat constituencies and 3 members in a single constituency for Croatian diaspora directly elected by proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method with a 5% threshold; an additional 8 members elected from a nationwide constituency by simple majority by voters belonging to minorities recognized by Croatia; the Serb minority elects 3 Assembly members, the Hungarian and Italian minorities elect 1 each, the Czech and Slovak minorities elect 1 jointly, and all other minorities elect 2; all members serve 4-year terms | elections: last held on 11 September 2016 (next to be held by December 2020) - Assembly voted on 20 June 2016 to dissolve on 15 July 2016, resulting in snap elections | election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; number of seats by party/coalition - HDZ coalition 61, People's Coalition 54, Most-NL 13, Only Option 8, minorities 8 (includes SDSS 3), other 7 | note: as of August 2017, seats by party - HDZ 55, SDP 37, MOST-NL 12, HNS 5, HSS 5, GLAS 4, IDS 3, SDSS 3, Human Blockade 3, HDS 2, PH 2, other 7, independent 13

National anthem

name: "Lijepa nasa domovino" (Our Beautiful Homeland) | lyrics/music: Antun MIHANOVIC/Josip RUNJANIN | note: adopted 1972; "Lijepa nasa domovino," whose lyrics were written in 1835, served as an unofficial anthem beginning in 1891

National holiday

Independence Day, 8 October (1991) and Statehood Day, 25 June (1991); note - 25 June 1991 was the day the Croatian parliament voted for independence; following a three-month moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the Yugoslav crisis peacefully, parliament adopted a decision on 8 October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia

National symbol(s)

red-white checkerboard; national colors: red, white, blue

Political parties and leaders

Bloc of Pensioners Together or BUZ [Milivoj SPIKA] | Bridge of Independent Lists or Most-NL [Bozo PETROV] | Civic Liberal Alliance or GLAS [Ankar Mrak TARITAS] | Croatian Christian Democratic Party or HDS [Goran DODIG] | Croatian Democratic Congress of Slavonia and Baranja or HDSSB [Branimir GLAVAS] | Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Andrej PLENKOVIC] | Croatian Laborists - Labor Party or HL [David BREGOVAC] | Croatian Party of Rights - dr. Ante Starcevic or HSP AS [Hrvoje NICE] | Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Kreso BELJAK] | Croatian Pensioner Party or HSU [Silvano HRELJA] | Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats or HNS [Ivan VRDOLJAK] | Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Darinko KOSOR] | Forward Croatia Progressive Alliance [Ivo JOSIPOVIC] | Human Blockade ("Living Wall") [Ivan SINCIC] | Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Milorad PUPOVAC] | Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Boris MILETIC] | Let's Change Croatia or PH [Ivan LOVRINOVIC] | Milan Bandic 365 - Party of Labor and Solidarity or BM365-SRS [Milan BANDIC] | Movement for Successful Croatia or HRAST [Ladislav ILCIC] | People's Party - Reformists Party [Radimir CACIC] | Smart Party or PAMETNO [Marijana PULJAK] | Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Davor BERNARDIC]

Political pressure groups and leaders

human rights groups

Suffrage

18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal

Background

The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands, along with a majority of Croatia's ethnic Serb population. Under UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998. The country joined NATO in April 2009 and the EU in July 2013.

Military branches

Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (Oruzane Snage Republike Hrvatske, OSRH) consists of five major commands directly subordinate to a General Staff: Ground Forces (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM, includes coast guard), Air Force and Air Defense Command (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo I Protuzracna Obrana), Joint Education and Training Command, Logistics Command; Military Police Force supports each of the three Croatian military forces (2017)

Military expenditures

1.38% of GDP (2016) | 1.55% of GDP (2015) | 1.59% of GDP (2014) | 1.66% of GDP (2013) | 1.69% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 51

Military service age and obligation

18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2008 (2017)

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.21% (male 314,287/female 295,520) | 15-24 years: 11.24% (male 247,394/female 235,166) | 25-54 years: 40.43% (male 867,978/female 867,125) | 55-64 years: 14.82% (male 309,794/female 326,102) | 65 years and over: 19.31% (male 330,406/female 498,323) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

8.9 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 210

Death rate

12.2 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 21

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 50.9 | youth dependency ratio: 22.4 | elderly dependency ratio: 28.5 | potential support ratio: 3.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 99.6% of population | rural: 99.7% of population | total: 99.6% of population | urban: 0.4% of population | rural: 0.3% of population | total: 0.4% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 99

Ethnic groups

Croat 90.4%, Serb 4.4%, other 4.4% (including Bosniak, Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, and Romani), unspecified 0.8% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

<.1% (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<100 (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1,500 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Health expenditures

7.8% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 58

Hospital bed density

5.9 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant mortality rate

total: 9.3 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 9 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 9.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145

Languages

Croatian (official) 95.6%, Serbian 1.2%, other 3% (including Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and Albanian), unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.1 years | male: 72.9 years | female: 79.4 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 99.3% | male: 99.7% | female: 98.9% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: intermediate | vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2016)

Major urban areas - population

ZAGREB (capital) 687,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 158

Median age

total: 43 years | male: 41.1 years | female: 45 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20

Mother's mean age at first birth

28 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

noun: Croat(s), Croatian(s) | adjective: Croatian

Net migration rate

-1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.4% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 59

Physicians density

3.13 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

4,292,095 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

Population distribution

more of the population lives in the northern half of the country, with approximately a quarter of the populace residing in and around the capital of Zagreb; many of the islands are sparsely populated

Population growth rate

-0.5% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 224

Religions

Roman Catholic 86.3%, Orthodox 4.4%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.5%, not religious or atheist 3.8% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 97.8% of population | rural: 95.8% of population | total: 97% of population | urban: 2.2% of population | rural: 4.2% of population | total: 3% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years | male: 15 years | female: 16 years (2014)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female | total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.4 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 211

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 43% | male: 41.9% | female: 44.5% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Urbanization

urban population: 59.6% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 0.22% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

dispute remains with Bosnia and Herzegovina over several small sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinders ratification of the 1999 border agreement; since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Croatia and Slovenia have each claimed sovereignty over Piranski Bay and four villages, and Slovenia has objected to Croatia's claim of an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic Sea; in 2009, however Croatia and Slovenia signed a binding international arbitration agreement to define their disputed land and maritime borders, which led to Slovenia lifting its objections to Croatia joining the EU; Slovenia continues to impose a hard border Schengen regime with Croatia, which joined the EU in 2013 but has not yet fulfilled Schengen requirements

Illicit drugs

primarily a transit country along the Balkan route for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe and other illicit drugs and chemical precursors to and from Western Europe; no significant domestic production of illicit drugs

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 2,873 (2016) | note: 659,105 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015 - December 2016); flows have slowed considerably in 2017; Croatia is predominantly a transit country and hosts fewer than 600 asylum seekers as of September 2017

Airports

69 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 72

Airports - with paved runways

total: 24 | over 3,047 m: 2 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 | 914 to 1,523 m: 3 | under 914 m: 10 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 45 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 6 | under 914 m: 38 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9A (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 77 | by type: bulk carrier 24, cargo 7, chemical tanker 8, passenger/cargo 27, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 1 | foreign-owned: 2 (Norway 2) | registered in other countries: 31 (Bahamas 1, Belize 1, Liberia 1, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 12, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 60

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 3 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 46 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,782,666 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 775,320 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

gas 2,410 km; oil 610 km (2011)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Ploce, Rijeka, Sibernik, Split | river port(s): Vukovar (Danube) | oil terminal(s): Omisalj

Railways

total: 2,722 km | standard gauge: 2,722 km 1.435-m gauge (985 km electrified) (2014) | country comparison to the world: 61

Roadways

total: 26,958 km (includes 1,416 km of expressways) (2015) | country comparison to the world: 98

Waterways

785 km (2009) | country comparison to the world: 73