Average salary in Croatia rises annually to €1,552, new official data shows

The latest official figures published today from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics show that the average monthly net salary in Croatia for April 2026 amounted to €1,552, according to newly released labour market data.

The figure represents a slight monthly decrease of 0.2% in nominal terms compared to March 2026, and a 1.8% real decrease when adjusted for inflation. However, on an annual basis, wages continue to show solid growth, with net salaries rising by 7.9% nominally and 2.0% in real terms compared with April 2025.

The average gross salary for April 2026 stood at €2,180, reflecting a marginal monthly decline of 0.1% in nominal terms and a 1.7% real decrease. Year-on-year, gross wages increased by 9.1% nominally and 3.1% in real terms.

Wide Differences Across Sectors

Significant variations remain across different sectors of the economy.

The highest average net salary was recorded in computer infrastructure, data processing, hosting services and other information service activities, reaching €3,077 per month.

At the other end of the scale, the lowest average net salary was recorded in manufacture of wearing apparel, at €986.

The same pattern is seen in gross earnings, with the IT-related sector again leading at €4,762, while clothing manufacturing recorded the lowest average gross salary of €1,309.

In April 2026, employees recorded an average of 173 paid working hours, unchanged from March.

The highest number of paid hours was recorded in water transport at 185 hours, while the lowest was in social care without accommodation, at 162 hours.

Hourly Earnings

Average net hourly earnings stood at €8.71, a slight monthly decline of 0.1%, but up 7.8% year-on-year.

Gross hourly earnings were recorded at €12.24, also down 0.1% month-on-month, but rising 9.1% compared with April 2025.

Median Salaries Also Increasing

The median net salary in April 2026 was €1,319, marking a 0.2% monthly increase and an 8.3% annual rise.

The median gross salary reached €1,810, up 0.3% from March and 9.3% higher year-on-year, indicating steady wage growth across the broader workforce.