New study reveals why young Croatians consider leaving 

A recent study has revealed significant insights into the perspectives and behaviours of young people in Croatia, highlighting a strong trend towards emigration.

In 2024, only 22% of young Croatians have no intention of leaving the country—a sharp drop from 62.5% in 2018.

This means that 78% believe life might be better and more productive elsewhere, with 21% strongly desiring to emigrate. High emigration interest is also prevalent among youth in non-EU countries like North Macedonia, Albania, and Turkey, with socioeconomic struggles often intensifying this desire to leave.

The study, conducted by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Institute for Social Research, surveyed 717 young Croatians aged 14-29.

It also provided comparisons to similar studies from 2018 and 2012, revealing shifts in attitudes following the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine conflict.

Young people cited corruption and job insecurity as their main concerns, with 48% fearing unemployment and 46% worried about the quality of the healthcare system and the potential for war.

Living arrangements show that over half (51%) of young Croatians live with their parents, though a third wish to live independently.

Financial constraints are the main reason they remain at home, with 34% saying they would move out if they could afford it. Their connection with parents is strong, with 93% rating it positively.

Although many still rely on family for support, the number of young adults living independently has grown from 4% in 2018 to 11% today.

There is a noticeable shift away from traditional values, especially regarding marriage and children. The ideal age for having a first child has decreased to 26, but 23% now report they do not plan to have children—up from 6.4% in 2018.

In choosing partners, education (38%) and family approval (33%) are important, though the significance of factors like economic status, religious beliefs, and nationality has declined.

Discrimination remains a concern, with young people reporting incidents based on poverty (36%), religion (28%), ethnicity (20%), political views (22%), and sexual orientation (16%), Jutarnji list reported.

Young Croatians place a high value on independence, career success, and health, with personal values shifting towards more liberal attitudes.

Political engagement is increasing, with interest in politics rising from 12% in 2018 to nearly 19% today. However, Croatian youth participate less in elections than peers in other countries in the region, despite a relatively strong interest in political involvement. A distinctive trend is the division by gender and ideology, where young men are more drawn to conservative politics and young women lean towards democratic ideals.

Despite a shift towards tolerance, some young Croatians still express conditional support for democracy, with almost half seeing it as beneficial only when it ensures economic stability.

A significant portion (30%) supports the idea of an authoritarian leader to achieve greater security and standard of living, while a stable 18% are even open to dictatorial governance under specific circumstances.

This complex attitude towards governance reflects broader disillusionment with institutional effectiveness in Croatia.