Croatia’s net migration slows while births rise slightly and divorces hit record levels

Croatia continues to attract more people than it loses, but the net migration margin has narrowed. In 2025, 56,665 people arrived from abroad while 37,485 left, a positive balance of 19,180 people, down from 31,000 the previous year. Foreign nationals account for most newcomers, with 17 % from Germany, 11.1 % from Bosnia and Herzegovina and another 11.1 % from Nepal. Internally, 73,838 people changed residence, a record since 2016, with women comprising 54.3 % of internal moves. The Zagreb county received the largest share of both external and internal migrants.

Demographically, the number of live births rose modestly to 32,479 in 2025, a 1.3 % increase over 2024, while deaths fell to 50,007, a 2.1 % decline, leaving the natural increase still negative. Only 43 out of 555 Croatian municipalities recorded more births than deaths. Meanwhile, the number of divorces reached a new high of 2,185 in 2025, an 8 % rise from the previous year, while marriages fell by 5.1 %.