September 9, 2023 – According to the population estimate in mid-2022, Croatia had 3,855,641 inhabitants, of which 1,860,511 were men and 1,995,130 were women. Compared to the estimate from the previous year, the number of inhabitants decreased by 23,340 people or 0.6 percent, the State Bureau of Statistics (DZS) reported on the current state of Croatian demography.
An increase in the total number of inhabitants was noted in Zagreb County, in which, compared to the previous year’s estimate, a relative increase of 0.47 percent was achieved, as well as Istria (0.33 percent) and Zadar County (0.1 percent). In all other counties, the total number of inhabitants decreased, writes 24Sata.
The most significant relative decrease in the number of inhabitants has been noted in Požega-Slavonia County (2.09 percent), Brod-Posavina County (1.95 percent), Virovitica-Podravina County (1.92 percent), and Vukovar-Srijem County (1.85 percent).
The share of women in the total population of the Republic of Croatia was 51.7 percent, and men 48.3 percent in most counties.
The smallest share of the female population was in Lika-Senj County (50.5 percent) and the largest in the City of Zagreb (53.1 percent).
In 2022, the continuous aging of the population continued.
The average age of the total population of Croatia was 44.3 years – 42.6 years for men and 46 for women, which ranks Croatian demography among the oldest nations in Europe.
The share of the young population, from zero to 19 years old, in the total population was 19.2 percent.
Summary of Current Croatian Demography – Aging and Leaving
At the county level, the smallest proportion of young people was noted in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (16.7 percent) and the largest in Međimurje County (21.5 percent).
The largest population aged 65 and over in relation to the total population was in Šibenik-Knin County (27.6 percent) and Lika-Senj County (26.1 percent), and the smallest in the City of Zagreb (20.7 percent) and in Međimurje County (20.8 percent).
In Croatia, 52.2 percent of the population lives in only five counties – most in the City of Zagreb (767,445 or 19.9 percent) and in Split-Dalmatia County (423,400 or 11 percent).
Lika-Senj County (42,578 or 1.1 percent) and Požega-Slavonia County (63,037 or 1.6 percent) had the fewest inhabitants.
