Croatia in 2025 had more immigrants than emigrants, but the difference compared to the previous year almost halved: the migration balance fell from 31 thousand to 19,180 people, according to new data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS).
In 2025, 56,665 people moved to Croatia from abroad, while 37,485 left. The positive trend, which has been ongoing since 2022, still rests on foreigners — only 29.7 per cent of those who moved in were Croatian citizens. Among emigrants, the domestic population is significantly higher: Croatian citizens make up 35 per cent of those who left the country.
The largest number of immigrants came from Germany, 17 per cent, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina and Nepal with 11.1 per cent each. Looking only at foreign citizens, Nepal leads with 6,264 immigrants, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina (4,731), the Philippines (4,500), Serbia (3,696) and Ukraine (2,986). Germany is also the main destination for emigrants from Croatia.
Among immigrants, men predominate, with 66.3 per cent, and men aged 20 to 39 also make up the largest share of emigrants. The DZS notes that a significant portion of the total figures consists of foreigners with residence and work permits, and that internally displaced persons from Ukraine who have been granted temporary protection are included among immigrants.
Within the country, 73,838 people changed their address, the highest since 2016. Unlike external migrations, in internal migrations women lead with a share of 54.3 per cent, and just over 30 thousand people moved to another county.
When external and internal migrations are combined, the biggest winner is Zagreb County with 3,475 more immigrants than emigrants, followed by Istria, Split-Dalmatia and Primorje-Gorski Kotar counties and the City of Zagreb. Negative balances are recorded in Sisak-Moslavina, Brod-Posavina, Koprivnica-Križevci and Virovitica-Podravina counties.
In migrations between counties, Zagreb County attracted the most new residents, while the most left Brod-Posavina and Vukovar-Syrmia.
