Croatia
The concept of a Croatian nation emerged in the 8th century AD, despite the territory having long been under foreign rule. An independent kingdom from 925, Croatia lost its sovereignty in 1102, becoming a Hungarian, then Austrian territory, with a brief period of Italian occupation during the Second World War. It remained part of Yugoslavia until 1991. After World War II, Croatia gained control of the Istria and Dalmatia territories from Italy. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia explicitly allowed each member state the right to secede, a right Croatia exercised in 1991, declaring independence and engaging in a conflict with Serbia, which ended with Croatia being recognized as a sovereign state. A subsequent war with Serbia took place in Bosnia and concluded with the 1995 Dayton Accords, which divided Bosnian territory between Croatian and Serbian ethnic groups.
Croatia joined NATO in 2009, the European Union in 2013, and adopted the euro as its currency on January 1, 2023. For centuries a crossroads of Latin, Germanic, Slavic, and Muslim cultures, Croatia has been closely tied to the Mediterranean, both culturally and economically, particularly through its thriving shipbuilding and tourism industries. Relations with Italy, though challenging in the 1990s under President Tudjman, have developed into constructive cooperation, particularly in areas of public order and economic relations. In terms of public order, joint efforts have focused on combating illegal immigration and organized crime. These efforts led to a meeting in Trieste in November 2023 between Italy’s Interior Minister Piantedosi and his Croatian and Slovenian counterparts, Bozinovic and Poklukar, where coordination of police forces was agreed upon to address these criminal practices.
Economically, Italy remains Croatia’s main trading partner. Demographically, Croatia, like many European nations, faces an aging population, with a life expectancy of 78.6 years and only 32,047 births recorded in 2023, the lowest in the country’s history. Catholicism is the dominant religion, with over 80% of the population identifying as Catholic.
Croatia’s economy excels in various sectors, including shipbuilding, tourism, petrochemicals, and the food industry. The country also has strong natural gas production, supported by a modern regasification plant in Krk, which is undergoing expansion to become a key energy supply hub for Southeast Europe. Although modest, Croatia also extracts oil. By the end of 2023, the budget deficit and public debt stood at 0.7% and 63.5% of GDP, respectively, while military spending was 1.74% of GDP.
In 2023, Croatia’s main export markets were, in descending order, Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Hungary. Its main import partners were Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, and Austria.
| Head of state | Zoran Milanović |
| Head of Government | Andrej Plenković |
| Institutional Form | Parliamentary Republic |
| Capital | Zagreb |
| Legislative Power | Unicameral Parliament (Sabor) |
| Judicial Power | Supreme Court |
| Ambassador to Italy | Jasen Mesić |
| Total Area kmq | 56.594 Km2 |
| Land | 55.974 Km2 |
| Weather | Mediterranean and continental |
| Natural resources | Oil, coal, bauxite, calcium, clays, salt, hydropower |
| Economic summary | The Croatian economy is driven by tourism. Sectors such as manufacturing, energy and financial services play an important role. EU membership and the introduction of the euro in 2023 have strengthened stability and investment. |
| GDP | 73 billion € (2023) |
| Pro-capite GDP (Purchasing power parity) | 20.600 € (2023) |
| Exports | 22.8 billion € (2023) |
| Export partner | Italy 13%, Slovenia 11%, Germany 11%, Hungary 10%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 9% |
| Imports | 37,9 billion € (2023) |
| Import partner | Italy 14%, Germany 12%, Slovenia 11%, Hungary 7%, US 7% |
| Trade With Italy | 8.4 billion € (2023) |
| Population | 3.9 million |
| Population Growth | -0,46 % |
| Ethnicities | Croat 91.6%, Serb 3.2%, other 3.9% |
| Languages | Croatian (official) 95.2%, Serbian 1.2%, other 3.1% (including Bosnian, Albanian, and Italian) |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 79%, Orthodox 3.3%, Protestant 0.3%, Muslim 1.3%, others |
| Urbanization | 58.6 % |
| Literacy | 99.4 % |
The concept of a Croatian nation emerged in the 8th century AD, despite the territory having long been under foreign rule. An independent kingdom from 925, Croatia lost its sovereignty in 1102, becoming a Hungarian, then Austrian territory, with a brief period of Italian occupation during the Second World War. It remained part of Yugoslavia until 1991. After World War II, Croatia gained control of the Istria and Dalmatia territories from Italy. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia explicitly allowed each member state the right to secede, a right Croatia exercised in 1991, declaring independence and engaging in a conflict with Serbia, which ended with Croatia being recognized as a sovereign state. A subsequent war with Serbia took place in Bosnia and concluded with the 1995 Dayton Accords, which divided Bosnian territory between Croatian and Serbian ethnic groups.
Croatia joined NATO in 2009, the European Union in 2013, and adopted the euro as its currency on January 1, 2023. For centuries a crossroads of Latin, Germanic, Slavic, and Muslim cultures, Croatia has been closely tied to the Mediterranean, both culturally and economically, particularly through its thriving shipbuilding and tourism industries. Relations with Italy, though challenging in the 1990s under President Tudjman, have developed into constructive cooperation, particularly in areas of public order and economic relations. In terms of public order, joint efforts have focused on combating illegal immigration and organized crime. These efforts led to a meeting in Trieste in November 2023 between Italy’s Interior Minister Piantedosi and his Croatian and Slovenian counterparts, Bozinovic and Poklukar, where coordination of police forces was agreed upon to address these criminal practices.
Economically, Italy remains Croatia’s main trading partner. Demographically, Croatia, like many European nations, faces an aging population, with a life expectancy of 78.6 years and only 32,047 births recorded in 2023, the lowest in the country’s history. Catholicism is the dominant religion, with over 80% of the population identifying as Catholic.
Croatia’s economy excels in various sectors, including shipbuilding, tourism, petrochemicals, and the food industry. The country also has strong natural gas production, supported by a modern regasification plant in Krk, which is undergoing expansion to become a key energy supply hub for Southeast Europe. Although modest, Croatia also extracts oil. By the end of 2023, the budget deficit and public debt stood at 0.7% and 63.5% of GDP, respectively, while military spending was 1.74% of GDP.
In 2023, Croatia’s main export markets were, in descending order, Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Hungary. Its main import partners were Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, and Austria.
