Croatia sees sharp drop in net emigration as return migration rises

New research by DataPulse Research shows that net emigration of people born in Croatia fell by about 80 % between 2019 and 2024, reaching a net loss of only 3,429 people. The study finds that for every ten Croatians who leave, roughly seven now return, driven by higher wages, the introduction of the euro and Croatia’s entry into the Schengen area in 2023.

Using birthplace rather than citizenship, the analysis highlights Croatia as a notable outlier in the EU: 17 of 19 European countries still register more people born there leaving than returning, with Germany losing around 91,000, Italy 65,000 and Spain 31,500. While the reduction in net emigration eases Croatia’s demographic pressure, the country still records a natural decrease of about 19,000 more deaths than births each year, keeping the overall population decline problem unresolved.