Croatia’s Population Declining

Croatia’s population is on the decline, according to estimates from the Central Bureau of Statistics…

In 2013 Croatia’s population was estimated at 4,255,689, down 0.3% or close to 12,000 people, from the previous year. Whilst the country’s overall population was declining, it had grown in a number of areas. Zagreb, Zagreb County, Zadar and Istria had all recorded population growth in 2013, whilst the Sisak-Molsavina County shrunk by 1.38%. Since Croatia joined the European Union, there have been a number of educated citizens head off abroad to seek better wages, including a large portion of the medical fraternity.

Women still outnumber men, with 51.7% of the population female, whilst the median age continues also to grow – sitting at 42.2 years of age now, making Croatia one of the ‘oldest nations’ in Europe.