September the 28th, 2026 – Croatia has the highest number of overnight stays relative to the number of inhabitants according to the latest Eurostat data.
Croatia has officially taken first place on the ranking of countries with the highest number of tourist overnight stays relative to the number of inhabitants. According to the latest Eurostat data, for every 1,000 inhabitants of Croatia, as many as 24,465 overnight stays in tourist accommodation are recorded annually. Index reports that this indicator does not refer to the total number of tourists, but compares the number of overnight stays with the number of inhabitants, so smaller countries that attract a large number of visitors during the year often end up at the top.
croatia steams ahead of malta and cyprus
According to data for 2025, Croatia is in first place ahead of Malta, which has 20,091 overnight stays per 1,000 inhabitants, and Cyprus with 18,533 overnight stays. Among the top ten are also Greece with 14,741 overnight stays, Austria with 14,619, Spain with 10,390, Italy with 9,084, Slovenia with 8,366, Montenegro with 8,339 and Portugal with 8,319 overnight stays per 1,000 inhabitants. Also on the list are the Netherlands with 8,102 and Ireland with 7,788 overnight stays per 1,000 inhabitants.
significant growth for croatia
Croatia reached the top of this ranking after strong tourism growth over the past decade. While Cyprus and Malta previously led according to this indicator, Croatia overtook them in 2016. Growing interest in Croatia was further boosted by the increasing popularity of Adriatic destinations, better connections with European markets, and the global recognition of certain locations. Among the factors that contributed to Croatia’s greater visibility is the popularity of the places where the series “Game of Thrones” was filmed.
By 2025, Croatia had reached 24,465 overnight stays per 1,000 inhabitants, which is about 1.22 times more than Malta, which is in second place.
small european countries attract plenty of attention
The ranking shows that the countries with the highest intensity of tourism are mostly smaller European states that receive a large number of visitors during the year relative to their population. For Croatia, this means that during the tourist season the number of people in individual coastal towns and places multiplies compared to the number of permanent residents.
