November the 5th, 2026 – Croatia spent 39.5 million euros on Ukrainian refugees in 2025, with the costs having risen considerably compared to 2024.
The costs of reception and accommodation of displaced persons from Ukraine continued to rise last year as well. The state recorded almost five million euros more in expenses than back in 2024. Poslovni reports that for the reception and care of displaced persons from Ukraine in private and collective accommodation during 2025, 39.54 million euros in expenses were recorded, which is approximately 4.7 million euros or 13.5 percent more than the year before. The data are stated in the report on the state and management of commodity reserves for 2025, which the Government considered at its session on the 29th of October and then forwarded to the Croatian Parliament.
According to the report of the Ministry of Economy, the costs of caring for displaced persons from Ukraine increased due to a larger number of accommodation users. Back in 2024, 34.83 million euros in expenses were recorded for these needs, while last year the amount rose to 39.54 million euros. In the budget, 37.71 million euros were planned for compensations related to the reception and care of displaced persons, which means that the realised expenses were about 1.83 million euros higher than the planned amount.
almost 7.8 million euros in bills was paid at the beginning of 2026
The report also reveals that the Directorate for Commodity Reserves at the end of 2025 had 7.77 million euros in outstanding obligations for the accommodation of displaced persons from Ukraine during November and December. These are the costs of individual and collective accommodation that were paid in January and February 2026, in accordance with the contracted deadlines of 30 to 60 days from the receipt of electronic invoices. These expenses relate to 2025 and are not an additional cost that should be added to the total annual amount of 39.54 million euros.
The total obligations of the Directorate for Commodity Reserves at the end of last year amounted to 8.24 million euros, or 30.4 percent more than at the end of 2024. Of that, almost 94 percent related precisely to the accommodation of displaced persons from Ukraine. The Directorate ended last year with a shortfall of revenue in relation to expenses of 3.89 million euros, which was partially covered by the transferred surplus of revenue from previous years of 2.97 million euros. The report states that the shortfall is related to the costs of accommodation and food for displaced persons from Ukraine, whose bills for the end of the year were settled during the first two months of 2026.
eu cash involvement
In addition to funds from the state budget, European Union funds were also used to finance the reception and care of displaced persons. From the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), 2.84 million euros were allocated during 2025 for the costs of reception and care of displaced persons from Ukraine in individual accommodation. This amount, according to the report, was recorded as revenue from the competent budget for financing operating expenses, in accordance with the instruction of the Ministry of Finance.
In addition to financing accommodation, the state also provided food products for displaced persons from Ukraine during last year. The value of goods delivered from strategic commodity reserves amounted to 510,981 euros. Among the delivered products there were almost 50 tonnes of flour, more than 21 tonnes of rice, 21 tonnes of canned meat, almost 14 tonnes of canned fish and more than 23,500 litres of oil. Larger quantities of pasta, sugar, salt, jam and packet soups were also delivered.
The goods were, at the request of the Directorate of Civil Protection, delivered to the Croatian Red Cross for further distribution to displaced persons from Ukraine accommodated in Croatia. The report also shows the costs of procurement of goods and related services of 29,138.64 euros. Of that, 17,762.17 euros related to the procurement of flour, which is included in the value of the delivered goods, and the remaining 11,376.47 euros to transport and other related costs. The data shows that the reception of displaced persons from Ukraine during 2025 also represented a significant expense in the operations of the Directorate for Commodity Reserves, with accommodation costs rising, and part of the obligations from the last months of the year transferred for payment at the beginning of 2026.
