Croatia: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Nov. 13, 2026

News •

Youth protests highlight EU’s split between a restive west and peaceful east • Nov. 9, 2026, 5:00 AM ET (Globe and Mail)

Montenegro rejects ‘second-class’ EU membership as it eyes 2028 accession • Nov. 3, 2026, 11:57 AM ET (Euronews)

Verdis: How a 21-year-old has set up a new state in Europe • Oct. 29, 2026, 4:47 PM ET (Deutsche Welle)

A Western drone company explains why setting up shop in Ukraine is necessary to build better weapons for NATO • Oct. 23, 2026, 7:31 AM ET (Business Insider)

Hellenistic shipwreck off Croatia carried fine Greek pottery scratched with strange graffiti • Oct. 18, 2026, 11:10 AM ET (Earth.com)

Facts

Also Known As	Republic of Croatia • Republika Hrvatska • Hrvatska
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Andrej Plenković
Capital	Zagreb
Population	(2026 est.) 3,872,000
Currency Exchange Rate	1 USD equals 0.904 euro
Head Of State	President: Zoran Milanović
Form Of Government	multiparty republic with one legislative house (Croatian Parliament [151])
Official Language	Croatian
Official Religion	none¹
Official Name	Republika Hrvatska (Republic of Croatia)
Total Area (Sq Km)	56,594
Total Area (Sq Mi)	21,851
Monetary Unit	euro (€)
Population Rank	(2026) 131
Population Projection 2030	3,861,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2026) 177.2
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2026) 68.4
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2024) 58.9% • Rural: (2024) 41.1%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2021) 73.8 years • Female: (2021) 80 years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2024) 86,014
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2024) 22,250
¹However, the Roman Catholic Church receives state financial support through concordats with the Vatican.

Photos and Videos

Map of Croatia and surrounding countries showing political boundaries, major cities including Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik, and neighboring nations such as Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. The Adriatic Sea borders Croatia to the west, and a small inset locator map highlights Croatia's position in Europe.

Zagreb, Croatia

Map highlighting Croatia in southeastern Europe, showing its location along the Adriatic Sea and its borders with Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. The capital city, Zagreb, is marked, and surrounding countries such as Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Romania, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, and Greece are also labeled.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Map of Croatia highlighting its physical features, including major mountain ranges such as the Velebit and Velika Kapela Mountains, rivers like the Sava and Drava, and notable national parks including Plitvicka Lakes and Krka River. The map also shows Croatia's coastline along the Adriatic Sea and its many islands, as well as surrounding countries. An inset locator map in the corner marks Croatia's position in Europe.

Aerial view of the harbor in Pula, Croatia, showing a marina with docked boats, an industrial shipyard with cranes, and the city and green islands surrounding the bay.

People browse and buy fresh produce at outdoor market stalls in Dubrovnik, Croatia, with red and white umbrellas and stone buildings in the background.

St. Stephen's Cathedral with twin spires rises above red-roofed buildings in central Zagreb, Croatia, with an outdoor cafe visible to the right.

How griffon vultures find food

White storks' annual return to a Croatian village

National anthem of Croatia

See All Videos, Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

Lewis MacKenzie Stipe Mesić Franjo Tudjman Ante Pavelić Josip, Count Jelačić Ferenc Rákóczi, I Europe Balkans North Atlantic Treaty Organization nation-state United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

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