Croatia’s population ageing at record pace as share of children falls below 14%

Croatia

Croatia’s population has risen slightly to 3.876 million, but beneath the modest increase lies a deepening demographic crisis.

According to the latest provisional mid-2025 estimates from the Državni zavod za statistiku (DZS), the share of children aged up to 14 has fallen below 14%, while the proportion of those aged 65 and over has climbed to 23.51%, nearly a quarter of the population, Večernji list reports.

Since the 2021 Census, Croatia has lost almost 23,000 children under 14. Over the same period, the number of residents aged 65+ has grown by more than 42,000, reaching 911,500. By contrast, there are now just 529,500 children in the youngest age group.

Data from Eurostat places Croatia among the three EU countries with the sharpest rise in elderly population over the past decade, making it one of Europe’s oldest nations.

Although 32,385 babies were born in 2025, 316 more than in 2024, experts say the marginal rise will not reverse long-term trends without structural reforms.

Leading demographer Prof Dr Anđelko Akrap warns that both the relative and absolute growth of the elderly population is accelerating, including those aged over 85.

He notes that emigration of young people has intensified the imbalance. Since joining the EU, Croatia has lost more than 400,000 predominantly young citizens to emigration.

By the end of 2024, Croatia had 153,198 foreign nationals residing in the country, mostly labour migrants. However, experts argue that labour imports alone cannot resolve demographic decline.

Nearly 600,000 Croatian citizens,14.9% of the population, now live in other EU member states.

Meanwhile, Croatia has lost more than 62,000 primary and secondary school pupils since the 2013/2014 academic year.

With projections indicating a further 135,000 fewer pupils and students within 15 years, pressure is mounting on education, pension and healthcare systems.

Experts are calling for a comprehensive pro-natal policy alongside active measures encouraging the return of young families and diaspora descendants.

Without decisive action, Croatia’s demographic imbalance threatens not only economic sustainability but also the future provision of long-term care for its ageing population.