Country explorer: Croatia

Croatia has experienced steady economic growth with increased GDP per capita, significant reductions in poverty across all thresholds, a notable decline in unemployment rates, and maintained inflation rates, illustrating a transformative economic stabilization and growth that aligns it closely with trends seen in other high-income European countries.

Croatia has experienced a notable population decline alongside persistently low fertility rates, contrasting with a gradual increase in life expectancy, trends common to many Southern and Eastern European countries but distinct in its scale of emigration and demographic aging.

Croatia has consistently maintained 100% access to clean fuels for cooking, electricity, and high access levels to safely managed drinking water and sanitation facilities, reflecting strong infrastructure and public health policies akin to its high-income European peers.

Croatia has shown significant improvements in human development as reflected by increments in the Human Development Index, reductions in child mortality rate, increase in literacy rate, and enhanced average learning-adjusted years of schooling, positioning itself as a country undergoing substantial human progress along lines similar to its high-income European peers.

Croatia has made efforts in increasing its forest coverage and enhancing renewable energy sources, reflecting a common trend among European nations towards greater environmental sustainability.

Croatia has showcased a dynamic trajectory in technology and innovation, marked by a significant increase in internet usage, mobile phone subscriptions, steady growth in research and development spending as a share of GDP, and a robust output of scientific articles per million people, mirroring trends seen in high-income countries and reflecting a strong societal shift towards digitalization and knowledge-based economy.

Croatia has shown progress reflected in a decreasing Gender Inequality Index, a slight increase in the population born abroad, gradual improvement in self-reported life satisfaction, and an increasing age dependency ratio, indicating a society that is advancing in gender equality, experiencing modest increases in immigration, improving quality of life, and facing demographic shifts towards an older population, trends that are reflective of broader patterns observed in high-income countries.

Croatia has demonstrated a notable improvement in rule of law and reduction in corruption perception, aligning it closer to high-income countries, despite facing challenges in press freedom and political civil liberties, which reflects a complex but progressive governance transformation.