Croatia’s average salary reaches €1,540 as latest wage figures revealed
- by croatiaweek
- in News
ZAGREB, 22 September 2026 (Croatia Week) – Average wages in Croatia continued to record solid annual growth in July, although the monthly average fell slightly compared with June, according to the latest figures from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) released today.
The average monthly net salary paid to employees in legal entities in Croatia stood at €1,540 in July 2026. This was 1% lower in nominal terms than in June, but 7.2% higher than in July last year.
After taking inflation into account, the real net salary was 3.2% higher year-on-year.
The average monthly gross salary stood at €2,164, down 0.9% from June but up 8.2% compared with July 2025. In real terms, gross pay increased by 4.1% year-on-year.
The figures also show a significant difference between the average and the salary earned by the typical employee.
The median net salary was €1,346 in July, meaning half of employees earned less than this amount and half earned more. The median increased by 7.8% compared with the same month a year earlier.
The median gross salary was €1,853, up 8.9% year-on-year.
By sector, the highest average net salary was recorded in air transport, at €2,398. The lowest was recorded in clothing manufacturing, at €1,005.
Employees received an average of 181 paid hours in July, 4.6% more than in June. The average net hourly wage was €8.29, while the average gross hourly wage was €11.64.
The latest figures also show the distribution of wages across the workforce. The lowest 10% of employees earned up to €886 net, while the ninth decile reached €2,339. The median, or fifth decile, was €1,346.
DZS noted that from January 2026 the statistics have been presented according to Croatia’s new NKD 2025 classification, aligned with the EU’s NACE Rev. 2.1 system.
The wage figures cover employees in legal entities, including public authorities and local and regional government bodies. Employees in crafts, free professions and insured farmers are not included in these particular calculations.
