Croatia Demographics

Population of Croatia (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Croatia

Croatia Population
3,822,345
see live
Yearly Change
−0.67%
Global Share
0.05%
Global Rank
130

Median Age

The median age in Croatia is 45.5 years (2026).

Fertility in Croatia

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.47
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Croatia

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
79.1
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
82.1
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
76.0
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Croatia


Infant Mortality
3.2
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
3.8
(per 1,000 live births)


Croatia Urban Population

Currently, 58.1% of the population of Croatia is urban (2,222,255 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Croatia is 68 people per km² (177 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 55,974 km² (21,612 sq. miles).

Largest Cities and Settlements in Croatia

The 30 largest of 40 cities and settlements, ranked by population at the census of August 31, 2021 (by Croatian Bureau of Statistics).

RankCity or SettlementPopulation
1Zagreb663,592
2Split149,830
3Rijeka107,964
4Osijek75,535
5Zadar67,309
6Sesvete55,313
7Pula52,220
8Slavonski Brod45,005
9Karlovac41,869
10Varaždin36,187
11Šibenik31,115
12Velika Gorica30,036
13Vinkovci28,111
14Sisak27,859
15Dubrovnik26,922
16Bjelovar24,392
17Koprivnica22,262
18Vukovar22,255
19Solin20,996
20Zaprešić18,768
21Samobor16,911
22Đakovo16,875
23Požega16,867
24Čakovec15,078
25Metković13,971
26Virovitica13,486
27Petrinja12,963
28Makarska12,809
29Kutina12,012
30Rovinj11,629
See all 40 cities and settlements in Croatia

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.