🇭🇷 Croatia Population 2026
As of 2026, the population of Croatia is 3,822,345, ranking #130 in the world (0.05% of the global population), based on UN World Population Prospects 2024. The population is shrinking at -0.66% per year. The biggest city is Zagreb with 663,592 inhabitants.
Live estimate
3,821,799
Growth rate
-0.66%
Density
68
people / km² (177 / mi²)
Median age
45.5
Fertility rate
1.47
births per woman
Life expectancy
79.1
years
Croatia population 1950–2100
By 2050, the population of Croatia is projected to reach 3,234,160, and 2,141,439 by 2100.
Croatia population by year
| Year | Population | Growth | Density /km² | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3,822,345 | -0.66% | 68.4 | 45.5 |
| 2025 | 3,848,160 | -0.68% | 68.8 | 45.3 |
| 2024 | 3,875,325 | -0.72% | 69.3 | 45.0 |
| 2023 | 3,896,023 | -0.34% | 69.7 | 44.8 |
| 2022 | 3,907,027 | -0.22% | 69.9 | 44.6 |
| 2021 | 3,924,610 | -0.68% | 70.2 | 44.4 |
| 2020 | 3,953,958 | -0.81% | 70.7 | 44.2 |
| 2019 | 3,986,334 | -0.82% | 71.3 | 44.0 |
| 2018 | 4,024,868 | -1.10% | 72.0 | 43.6 |
| 2017 | 4,079,200 | -1.57% | 73.0 | 43.2 |
| 2016 | 4,136,444 | -1.22% | 74.0 | 42.7 |
| 2015 | 4,183,728 | -1.06% | 74.8 | 42.3 |
| 2014 | 4,219,479 | -0.65% | 75.5 | 42.0 |
| 2013 | 4,242,398 | -0.44% | 75.9 | 41.7 |
| 2012 | 4,259,236 | -0.35% | 76.2 | 41.5 |
| 2011 | 4,280,824 | -0.66% | 76.6 | 41.3 |
| 2010 | 4,301,145 | -0.29% | 76.9 | 41.0 |
| 2009 | 4,310,530 | -0.14% | 77.1 | 40.8 |
| 2008 | 4,314,630 | -0.05% | 77.2 | 40.6 |
| 2007 | 4,315,954 | -0.02% | 77.2 | 40.4 |
| 2006 | 4,315,800 | 0.02% | 77.2 | 40.2 |
| 2005 | 4,313,946 | 0.06% | 77.2 | 40.0 |
| 2004 | 4,310,056 | 0.12% | 77.1 | 39.7 |
| 2003 | 4,306,686 | 0.04% | 77.0 | 39.5 |
| 2002 | 4,305,782 | 0.00% | 77.0 | 39.2 |
| 2001 | 4,301,074 | 0.22% | 76.9 | 38.9 |
| 2000 | 4,326,105 | -1.37% | 77.4 | 38.6 |
| 1999 | 4,385,822 | -1.37% | 78.5 | 38.3 |
| 1998 | 4,445,667 | -1.34% | 79.5 | 37.9 |
| 1997 | 4,504,621 | -1.29% | 80.6 | 37.6 |
| 1996 | 4,562,299 | -1.25% | 81.6 | 37.2 |
| 1995 | 4,619,360 | -1.24% | 82.6 | 36.8 |
| 1994 | 4,675,514 | -1.18% | 83.6 | 36.4 |
| 1993 | 4,729,742 | -1.13% | 84.6 | 35.9 |
| 1992 | 4,782,232 | -1.08% | 85.6 | 35.4 |
| 1991 | 4,825,157 | -0.71% | 86.3 | 35.0 |
| 1990 | 4,835,066 | 0.29% | 86.5 | 34.6 |
| 1989 | 4,820,732 | 0.30% | 86.2 | 34.3 |
| 1988 | 4,806,032 | 0.31% | 86.0 | 34.0 |
| 1987 | 4,790,209 | 0.35% | 85.7 | 33.7 |
| 1986 | 4,773,051 | 0.37% | 85.4 | 33.4 |
| 1985 | 4,754,554 | 0.41% | 85.1 | 33.2 |
| 1984 | 4,734,488 | 0.44% | 84.7 | 32.9 |
| 1983 | 4,712,884 | 0.47% | 84.3 | 32.7 |
| 1982 | 4,689,156 | 0.54% | 83.9 | 32.5 |
| 1981 | 4,664,258 | 0.53% | 83.4 | 32.4 |
| 1980 | 4,643,896 | 0.34% | 83.1 | 32.2 |
| 1979 | 4,626,959 | 0.39% | 82.8 | 32.2 |
| 1978 | 4,609,020 | 0.39% | 82.5 | 32.2 |
| 1977 | 4,590,623 | 0.41% | 82.1 | 32.2 |
| 1976 | 4,571,750 | 0.41% | 81.8 | 32.2 |
| 1975 | 4,552,730 | 0.42% | 81.5 | 32.1 |
| 1974 | 4,533,953 | 0.41% | 81.1 | 32.0 |
| 1973 | 4,515,758 | 0.40% | 80.8 | 31.8 |
| 1972 | 4,497,891 | 0.40% | 80.5 | 31.6 |
| 1971 | 4,480,162 | 0.39% | 80.2 | 31.4 |
| 1970 | 4,462,674 | 0.39% | 79.8 | 31.2 |
| 1969 | 4,444,446 | 0.43% | 79.5 | 30.9 |
| 1968 | 4,423,828 | 0.50% | 79.1 | 30.6 |
| 1967 | 4,400,269 | 0.57% | 78.7 | 30.3 |
| 1966 | 4,374,301 | 0.62% | 78.3 | 29.9 |
| 1965 | 4,346,706 | 0.65% | 77.8 | 29.6 |
| 1964 | 4,317,758 | 0.69% | 77.2 | 29.3 |
| 1963 | 4,287,266 | 0.73% | 76.7 | 29.0 |
| 1962 | 4,255,014 | 0.78% | 76.1 | 28.7 |
| 1961 | 4,223,427 | 0.71% | 75.6 | 28.4 |
| 1960 | 4,200,264 | 0.39% | 75.1 | 28.0 |
| 1959 | 4,182,093 | 0.48% | 74.8 | 27.7 |
| 1958 | 4,160,692 | 0.55% | 74.4 | 27.3 |
| 1957 | 4,136,704 | 0.61% | 74.0 | 27.0 |
| 1956 | 4,110,124 | 0.68% | 73.5 | 26.7 |
| 1955 | 4,080,735 | 0.76% | 73.0 | 26.4 |
| 1954 | 4,048,114 | 0.85% | 72.4 | 26.1 |
| 1953 | 4,006,122 | 1.24% | 71.7 | 25.9 |
| 1952 | 3,957,414 | 1.21% | 70.8 | 25.7 |
| 1951 | 3,911,671 | 1.11% | 70.0 | 25.5 |
| 1950 | 3,864,990 | 1.29% | 69.1 | 25.4 |
| Year | Population | Growth | Density /km² | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 3,797,352 | -0.65% | 67.9 | 45.8 |
| 2028 | 3,773,300 | -0.62% | 67.5 | 46.1 |
| 2029 | 3,749,593 | -0.64% | 67.1 | 46.3 |
| 2030 | 3,725,770 | -0.64% | 66.7 | 46.6 |
| 2031 | 3,701,679 | -0.66% | 66.2 | 46.8 |
| 2032 | 3,677,460 | -0.65% | 65.8 | 47.1 |
| 2033 | 3,653,762 | -0.64% | 65.4 | 47.3 |
| 2034 | 3,630,274 | -0.65% | 64.9 | 47.5 |
| 2035 | 3,607,215 | -0.63% | 64.5 | 47.7 |
| 2036 | 3,584,372 | -0.64% | 64.1 | 47.9 |
| 2037 | 3,560,763 | -0.68% | 63.7 | 48.0 |
| 2038 | 3,536,617 | -0.68% | 63.3 | 48.1 |
| 2039 | 3,512,498 | -0.69% | 62.8 | 48.2 |
| 2040 | 3,488,309 | -0.70% | 62.4 | 48.3 |
| 2041 | 3,463,774 | -0.71% | 62.0 | 48.4 |
| 2042 | 3,438,936 | -0.72% | 61.5 | 48.4 |
| 2043 | 3,413,958 | -0.73% | 61.1 | 48.5 |
| 2044 | 3,388,574 | -0.76% | 60.6 | 48.5 |
| 2045 | 3,362,953 | -0.76% | 60.2 | 48.6 |
| 2046 | 3,337,508 | -0.76% | 59.7 | 48.7 |
| 2047 | 3,311,884 | -0.78% | 59.3 | 48.8 |
| 2048 | 3,286,003 | -0.79% | 58.8 | 49.0 |
| 2049 | 3,260,126 | -0.79% | 58.3 | 49.0 |
| 2050 | 3,234,160 | -0.81% | 57.9 | 49.1 |
| 2051 | 3,208,229 | -0.81% | 57.4 | 49.2 |
| 2052 | 3,182,597 | -0.80% | 56.9 | 49.2 |
| 2053 | 3,157,017 | -0.81% | 56.5 | 49.3 |
| 2054 | 3,131,454 | -0.81% | 56.0 | 49.3 |
| 2055 | 3,105,972 | -0.82% | 55.6 | 49.4 |
| 2056 | 3,080,264 | -0.84% | 55.1 | 49.5 |
| 2057 | 3,054,624 | -0.83% | 54.6 | 49.6 |
| 2058 | 3,029,124 | -0.84% | 54.2 | 49.8 |
| 2059 | 3,003,643 | -0.84% | 53.7 | 49.9 |
| 2060 | 2,978,213 | -0.86% | 53.3 | 50.1 |
| 2061 | 2,952,807 | -0.86% | 52.8 | 50.3 |
| 2062 | 2,927,566 | -0.86% | 52.4 | 50.5 |
| 2063 | 2,902,532 | -0.86% | 51.9 | 50.6 |
| 2064 | 2,878,017 | -0.84% | 51.5 | 50.8 |
| 2065 | 2,853,838 | -0.85% | 51.1 | 50.9 |
| 2066 | 2,829,608 | -0.86% | 50.6 | 51.0 |
| 2067 | 2,805,558 | -0.85% | 50.2 | 51.1 |
| 2068 | 2,781,696 | -0.86% | 49.8 | 51.1 |
| 2069 | 2,758,152 | -0.84% | 49.3 | 51.2 |
| 2070 | 2,735,392 | -0.81% | 48.9 | 51.2 |
| 2071 | 2,713,022 | -0.83% | 48.5 | 51.2 |
| 2072 | 2,690,488 | -0.84% | 48.1 | 51.3 |
| 2073 | 2,668,169 | -0.83% | 47.7 | 51.3 |
| 2074 | 2,646,256 | -0.82% | 47.3 | 51.4 |
| 2075 | 2,624,398 | -0.84% | 47.0 | 51.4 |
| 2076 | 2,602,610 | -0.83% | 46.6 | 51.5 |
| 2077 | 2,581,029 | -0.83% | 46.2 | 51.5 |
| 2078 | 2,559,768 | -0.82% | 45.8 | 51.5 |
| 2079 | 2,538,842 | -0.82% | 45.4 | 51.5 |
| 2080 | 2,518,232 | -0.81% | 45.1 | 51.5 |
| 2081 | 2,498,026 | -0.80% | 44.7 | 51.5 |
| 2082 | 2,478,023 | -0.81% | 44.3 | 51.5 |
| 2083 | 2,458,210 | -0.80% | 44.0 | 51.6 |
| 2084 | 2,438,564 | -0.81% | 43.6 | 51.6 |
| 2085 | 2,419,112 | -0.80% | 43.3 | 51.6 |
| 2086 | 2,399,983 | -0.79% | 42.9 | 51.7 |
| 2087 | 2,381,092 | -0.79% | 42.6 | 51.7 |
| 2088 | 2,362,144 | -0.81% | 42.3 | 51.8 |
| 2089 | 2,343,166 | -0.81% | 41.9 | 51.9 |
| 2090 | 2,324,531 | -0.79% | 41.6 | 51.9 |
| 2091 | 2,306,030 | -0.81% | 41.3 | 52.0 |
| 2092 | 2,287,416 | -0.81% | 40.9 | 52.1 |
| 2093 | 2,268,884 | -0.81% | 40.6 | 52.2 |
| 2094 | 2,250,347 | -0.83% | 40.3 | 52.3 |
| 2095 | 2,231,788 | -0.83% | 39.9 | 52.4 |
| 2096 | 2,213,326 | -0.83% | 39.6 | 52.4 |
| 2097 | 2,195,109 | -0.82% | 39.3 | 52.5 |
| 2098 | 2,177,097 | -0.83% | 38.9 | 52.6 |
| 2099 | 2,159,170 | -0.83% | 38.6 | 52.7 |
| 2100 | 2,141,439 | -0.82% | 38.3 | 52.8 |
States & provinces of Croatia by population
| # | State / province | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grad Zagreb | 767,131 | 20.1% |
| 2 | Splitsko-Dalmatinska | 423,407 | 11.1% |
| 3 | Zagrebacka | 299,985 | 7.8% |
| 4 | Primorsko-Goranska | 265,419 | 6.9% |
| 5 | Osjecko-Baranjska | 258,026 | 6.8% |
| 6 | Istarska | 195,237 | 5.1% |
| 7 | Zadarska | 159,766 | 4.2% |
| 8 | Varaždinska | 159,487 | 4.2% |
| 9 | Vukovarsko-Srijemska | 143,113 | 3.7% |
| 10 | Sisacko-Moslavacka | 139,603 | 3.7% |
| 11 | Brodsko-Posavska | 130,267 | 3.4% |
| 12 | Krapinsko-Zagorska | 120,702 | 3.2% |
| 13 | Dubrovacko-Neretvanska | 115,564 | 3.0% |
| 14 | Karlovacka | 112,195 | 2.9% |
| 15 | Medimurska | 105,250 | 2.8% |
| 16 | Bjelovarsko-bilogorska | 101,879 | 2.7% |
| 17 | Koprivničko-Križevačka | 101,221 | 2.6% |
| 18 | Šibensko-Kninska | 96,381 | 2.5% |
| 19 | Viroviticko-Podravska | 70,368 | 1.8% |
| 20 | Licko-Senjska | 42,748 | 1.1% |
State populations: GeoNames (latest official figures, reference dates vary by country).
Biggest cities in Croatia
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zagreb capital | Zagreb | 663,592 |
| 2 | Split | Split-Dalmatia | 149,830 |
| 3 | Rijeka | Primorje-Gorski Kotar | 107,964 |
| 4 | Osijek | County of Osijek-Baranja | 75,535 |
| 5 | Zadar | Zadar | 67,309 |
| 6 | Sesvete | Zagreb | 55,313 |
| 7 | Pula | Istria | 52,220 |
| 8 | Slavonski Brod | Brod-Posavina | 45,005 |
| 9 | Karlovac | Karlovac | 41,869 |
| 10 | Varaždin | Varaždin | 36,187 |
| 11 | Šibenik | Šibenik-Knin | 31,115 |
| 12 | Velika Gorica | Zagreb County | 30,036 |
| 13 | Vinkovci | Vukovar-Srijem | 28,111 |
| 14 | Sisak | Sisak-Moslavina | 27,859 |
| 15 | Dubrovnik | Dubrovnik-Neretva | 26,922 |
FAQ
What is the population of Croatia in 2026?
The population of Croatia is 3,822,345 in 2026, according to UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant).
What is the biggest city in Croatia?
Zagreb is the biggest city in Croatia with 663,592 inhabitants and it is also the capital.
Is the population of Croatia growing or shrinking?
The population of Croatia is shrinking at -0.66% per year.
Neighboring countries
Sources
- Country data: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant (CC BY 3.0 IGO). Retrieved 2026-07-07.
- City and state data: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Retrieved 2026-07-07.
Explore more: countries by population · by density · by median age · world population