The only Croatian town where no one got divorced

Pag (Photo credit: Carsten Steger/CC BY-SA 4.0)

Last year, Croatia recorded 32,479 births and 50,007 deaths. Although deaths continued to significantly outnumber births, the number of births increased for the first time after four consecutive years of decline. A total of 410 more children were born last year than in the previous year.

The figures, however, do not yet indicate a major demographic turnaround, with the number of deaths still considerably higher than the number of births.

Only six Croatian cities recorded more births than deaths

Only six of Croatia’s 128 cities recorded a positive natural increase in 2025: Kaštela, Makarska, Solin, Imotski, Metković and Dugo Selo, Jutarnji list writes.

Most are located close to larger urban centres, where younger families can often find lower living costs while remaining within commuting distance of major cities and their employment, education and cultural opportunities.

A similar pattern can be seen among municipalities. Some of the strongest natural increases were recorded in Podstrana, Dugopolje and Viškovo, all located near major urban areas.

At county level, no county recorded a positive vital index, which measures the number of births per 100 deaths.

The strongest results were recorded in the City of Zagreb, Međimurje County and Dubrovnik-Neretva County, where approximately 80 children were born for every 100 people who died.

The most severe demographic imbalance was recorded in Lika-Senj, Karlovac, Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Sisak-Moslavina counties, where deaths were more than twice as numerous as births.

In Karlovac County, for example, 815 children were born in 2025, while 1,740 people died.

Among Croatian cities, the lowest vital indices were recorded in Vrbovsko and Čabar in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, where the number of births was around five times lower than the number of deaths.

Among larger cities, Rijeka recorded one of the weakest results. The city registered 628 births and 1,596 deaths in 2025, a ratio of almost three deaths for every birth.

Fewer marriages as the number of divorces remains high

The demographic data also points to continuing changes in family patterns.

A total of 17,270 couples married in Croatia in 2025, while 5,674 divorces were recorded.

That represents approximately three marriages for every divorce, a relatively low ratio by Croatian standards and among the lowest in the European Union.

The number of marriages is falling faster than the number of divorces.

Pag was the only Croatian town where no divorce was recorded in 2025, while 13 couples married there.

The latest figures highlight the increasingly complex nature of Croatia’s demographic picture.

While immigration has helped the country record population growth for a fourth consecutive year, the underlying natural balance remains strongly negative. At the same time, the population structure is changing, with the strongest growth concentrated among younger men, while the number of women of key childbearing age has declined.

Croatia’s population is therefore growing in total numbers, but the latest data shows that the country’s long-term demographic challenges remain significant.