Croatia’s craft sector records historic growth, signalling economic shift

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Croatia’s craft sector has recorded its strongest growth to date, underlining a significant shift in the country’s economy and labour market.

According to the Ministry of Economy’s Craft Register, Croatia ended last year with 133,640 registered crafts, an increase of 10,578 or 8.6 per cent compared to December 2024.

Compared with 2020, the number of crafts has risen by an impressive 42,672, representing growth of nearly 47 per cent.

The Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts (HOK) says the continued rise confirms that craftsmanship remains a resilient and increasingly attractive part of the national economy, N1 reported.

Young people, in particular, are recognising crafts as a pathway to flexible working hours, financial independence and long-term sustainability. Skilled tradespeople are now in high demand, with many professions facing labour shortages.

The strongest growth was recorded in the service trades sector, which added 8,215 new crafts last year, an increase of almost 12 per cent.

Together with hospitality and tourism, service trades account for around two-thirds of all crafts in Croatia. While hospitality and tourism saw only marginal growth, notable increases were also recorded among hairdressers, beauty and fitness services, transport services, and manufacturing trades.

In contrast, traditional sectors such as retail, fisheries, mariculture and agriculture experienced slight declines. HOK notes that some traditional crafts, including hat-making, shoemaking and umbrella-making, are becoming economically unsustainable due to industrial imports and changing consumer habits.

Employment in crafts continues to rise, with 236,280 people now working in the sector. Since 2020, this represents an increase of more than 50,000 jobs, or 27 per cent.

New professions are also emerging. Pet grooming has become one of the fastest-growing craft activities, highlighted by Croatia’s first national grooming conference held last year.

At the same time, interest in vocational education remains strong, with more than 8,300 students enrolled in craft-related programmes.

A major reform introduced this year now allows pensioners to continue operating a craft while receiving 50 per cent of their pension, offering older tradespeople the opportunity to remain economically active.

Together, these trends point to a dynamic and evolving craft sector that is increasingly central to Croatia’s economic future.