Croatia now imports a quarter of its bread as prices soar

Bread prices rise

Bread – made from just four simple ingredients: flour, water, yeast and salt – has long been a staple in Croatian households. But today, it’s price is becoming an issue.

Croatians eat more bread than most Europeans, yet prices keep rising.

According to economic analyst Damir Novotny, Croatia produces around a million tonnes of grain each year, but only 14% of it meets the standards needed by modern bakeries.

Despite falling global prices for flour and wheat – down around 30% – bread prices in Croatia have continued to climb.

While Italians have seen a 26% increase over five years, and Slovenians 36%, in Croatia bread is now 58% more expensive than it was in 2019. Only Hungary has seen a worse price hike in the region, Net.hr writes.

“It’s terrible that people now have to think twice about which bread to buy,” says Nadica from Zagreb. “I always look at the price first – it’s shameful.” Another shopper, Nusreta, tells RTL Direkt that even a small bun now costs more than a euro.

But the price tag isn’t the only issue.

Shockingly, Croatia now imports more bread than it produces. One in four loaves consumed in the country arrives frozen from abroad – mostly from Germany, Poland and Italy.

In 2023 alone, over 115,000 tonnes of bakery products were imported, surpassing even pork on the list of top food imports.

In just ten years, bread imports have soared from €103 million in 2014 to €345 million last year.

This is happening in a country that grows enough grain for its needs – and even exports some of it. So why are we importing frozen bread?

The answer lies in quality. Only a small portion of local wheat meets the high standards required by industrial bakeries.

Bread in Croatia is more expensive than European average

Most of what is harvested ends up as low-grade animal feed. Meanwhile, Croatian bakers are forced to rely on imported flour and pre-made goods.

The government is aware of the issue. Nada Barišić of Žitozajednica says food prices have risen dramatically since the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic – and may never return to previous levels.

Tugomir Majdak, a senior official in the Agriculture Ministry, admits that Croatia needs to invest more in its grain processing sector, especially in milling durum wheat.

“Every country invests in the areas where it lacks self-sufficiency,” he says. “Now it’s our turn.”

Croatia has the land, the grain and the demand. What it lacks – for now – is the infrastructure to keep its bread fresh, affordable, and truly homegrown.