The different cash incentives to have kids across Croatia

Rab

By Marija Udiljak

ZAGREB, 16 July 2025 (Hina) – Croatian municipalities are continuing to invest in demographic measures to support families, with some offering substantial financial aid for new births, as well as free childcare and student support.

According to data collected for the seventh consecutive year by the Ministry of Demography and Immigration, 570 out of 575 municipalities, towns and counties responded to a questionnaire on demographic support measures.

Cash Incentives for Births Across Croatia

Only 18 local governments – six municipalities and 12 counties – currently do not provide any financial support for the birth of a child.

These include Donji Vidovec, Kotoriba, Mala Subotica, Orehovica, Peteranec and Petrijanec, and counties such as Brod-Posavina, Dubrovnik-Neretva and Istria, among others.

However, the majority are actively supporting families. Some less developed areas, particularly in Dalmatian hinterlands and Slavonia, are offering support levels on par with, or even exceeding, wealthier coastal towns.

Most Generous Municipalities for First and Second Children

The municipality of Sali once again leads in support for the first and second child, offering €7,963 for each. Ražanac follows with €7,000 per child. Povljana and Kolan each offer €3,000, while Imotski gives €2,500.

Five other municipalities – Novi Vinodolski, Pašman, Vir, Đulovac and Magadenovac – provide €2,000 each.

For the second child, the trend continues: Sali and Ražanac offer €7,000, Povljana increases its support to €6,000, and Imotski doubles its amount to €5,000.

€10,000 for the Third and Fourth Child in Some Areas

When it comes to supporting larger families, Imotski and Novska are among the most generous, offering €10,000 for both the third and fourth child. Stari Grad on Hvar gives €9,310, Povljana €9,000, and Blato on Korčula €7,963 for the third child.

Split is the only large city to offer substantial support, with €7,300 for the third child. Ražanac, Cista Provo, Vir and Pašman also provide between €6,000 and €7,000.

For the fourth child, top contributors include Vir (€13,000), Bol (€12,000), and again Imotski and Novska with €10,000. Other notable mentions include Biograd na Moru (€10,000), Blato (€9,556), and Povljana (€9,000).

Vir: Leader in Support for Large Families

Vir is Croatia’s leader in support for large families. For the birth of a fifth or subsequent child, the municipality gives an impressive €26,000. In addition to this, Vir offers free preschool education and financial help for schoolbooks and supplies worth €350 per child.

Vir also supports students with monthly scholarships of €200, which increase to €300 for those with top academic results.

Other municipalities offering generous grants for fifth and further children include Pašman (€14,000), Bol (€12,000), Biograd na Moru (€11,000), and Imotski, Novska and others with between €8,000 and €10,000.

Free and Expensive Preschools Across Croatia

Among the 570 municipalities and towns surveyed, 46 – about 8 percent – offer free kindergarten. These include larger cities such as Velika Gorica, Slavonski Brod and Sisak, as well as smaller places like Sinj, Pag, Obrovac, Jastrebarsko and Nin.

Other municipalities with free kindergartens include Biograd na Moru, Belišće, Vrlika, Cres, Lopar, Čabar, and of course, Vir.

On the other end of the spectrum, the most expensive kindergarten is in Sibinj in Brod-Posavina County, where parents pay €226 per month for the first child and €169 for the second, totalling €395.

Gorjani in Osijek-Baranja County charges €196 for the first child, and Radoboj in Krapina-Zagorje County asks for €178.

Meanwhile, parents in Osijek, Split and Rijeka pay significantly less. In Osijek, preschool costs €84 for the first and €76 for the second child, in Split €80 and €56, and in Rijeka €70 and €49 respectively.

No data was available for the capital Zagreb.