Total population (thousands) in Croatia
Croatia: Total population (thousands) was 3,861 thousands in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
3,861 thousands
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
129th
of 233 countries
All-time high
4,842 thousands
in 1991
All-time low
3,861 thousands
in 2025
Years of data
55
1970–2025
Total population in Croatia, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Croatia recorded 3,861 thousands for total population in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 8.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in Croatia peaked at 4,842 thousands in 1991 and was at its lowest, 3,861 thousands, in 2025.
Croatia ranks 129th of 233 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Total population (thousands) in Croatia, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4,454 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 4,471 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 4,489 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 4,507 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 4,525 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 4,543 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 4,562 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 4,581 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 4,600 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 4,618 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 4,636 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 4,652 thousands | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 4,677 thousands | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 4,702 thousands | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 4,724 thousands | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 4,745 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 4,764 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 4,782 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 4,799 thousands | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 4,814 thousands | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 4,828 thousands | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 4,842 thousands | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 4,808 thousands | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 4,756 thousands | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 4,703 thousands | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 4,648 thousands | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 4,591 thousands | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 4,534 thousands | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 4,475 thousands | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 4,416 thousands | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 4,296 thousands | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 4,306 thousands | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 4,306 thousands | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 4,308 thousands | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 4,313 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 4,315 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 4,316 thousands | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 4,316 thousands | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 4,314 thousands | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 4,307 thousands | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 4,295 thousands | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 4,267 thousands | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 4,252 thousands | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 4,233 thousands | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 4,206 thousands | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 4,162 thousands | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 4,111 thousands | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 4,047 thousands | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 4,003 thousands | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 3,970 thousands | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 3,938 thousands | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 3,911 thousands | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 3,903 thousands | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 3,889 thousands | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 3,861 thousands | -0.7% |
Croatia compared with similar countries
- Croatia's 3,861 thousands is above the median for high income countries, which is 3,084 thousands, 1.3× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Croatia's 3,861 thousands is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6,353 thousands, 61% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4,535 thousands | 4,454 thousands | 4,618 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 4,729 thousands | 4,636 thousands | 4,814 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 4,660 thousands | 4,416 thousands | 4,842 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 4,310 thousands | 4,296 thousands | 4,316 thousands | 9 |
| 2010s | 4,188 thousands | 4,003 thousands | 4,307 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,912 thousands | 3,861 thousands | 3,970 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Croatia
More population data for Croatia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.8211 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.79 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.8211 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.8996 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7685 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.8% (2100)
- Population density 38.27 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 79,027 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.8% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate -0.1857 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total population in Croatia?
- Total population in Croatia was 3,861 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in Croatia?
- The highest recorded value was 4,842 thousands in 1991.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in Croatia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,861 thousands in 2025.
- How does Croatia rank for total population?
- Croatia ranks 129th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total population rising or falling in Croatia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Croatia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release