{"id":1982,"date":"2026-10-09T09:10:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T07:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omniasolutions.hr\/regional-disparities-croatia-counties\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T23:47:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T22:47:45","slug":"regional-disparities-croatia-counties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omniasolutions.hr\/en\/regional-disparities-croatia-counties\/","title":{"rendered":"Regional disparities in Croatia: counties by development index, GDP, wages and population"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Updated on 29 October 2026 with the latest available data.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The differences between Croatian counties remain large. In 2023 the City of Zagreb had GDP per capita of EUR 34,518, while Virovitica-Podravina County had EUR 10,968, less than a third as much. The county development index ranges from 89.7 to 120.5, and 11 counties are below the average and have the status of assisted areas. In GDP per capita in purchasing power standards, the City of Zagreb stood at 131% of the EU average in 2024, and Pannonian Croatia at 53%. Every county lost population between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, and from 2024 to mid-2025 the population grew only in Zagreb, its surroundings and on the Adriatic coast. Under the new Regional Development Act, in force since 7 May 2026, development is assessed every five years.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In October 2026, alongside the 10th Days of Regional Development and EU Funds in \u0160ibenik, the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds published \u201cRegionalni razvoj u Hrvatskoj, 2026.\u201d (Regional Development in Croatia 2026, in Croatian). This article summarises the key indicators of regional disparities, mainly from official sources, namely the development index, GDP per capita by county and region, wages and population. At the end we explain what regional disparities mean for state aid to businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • The 2024 development index is highest in the City of Zagreb (120.5), Zagreb County (108.3) and Istria (107.3), and lowest in Virovitica-Podravina (89.7), Vukovar-Srijem (90.8) and Brod-Posavina (90.9).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • All eleven counties below the average have the status of assisted areas. The five least developed counties are all in Pannonian Croatia, four of them in Slavonia.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Only the City of Zagreb, Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Istria have GDP per capita above the Croatian average.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The average net wage in the second quarter of 2026 was EUR 1,553, and only the City of Zagreb, Zagreb County and Primorje-Gorski Kotar were above it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • All regions have improved their position relative to the EU average since 2020, with Pannonian Croatia the slowest, rising from 46% to 53% in 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Regional disparities directly affect state aid. The maximum regional aid intensity for investment depends on the region and ranges from 35 to 75% of eligible costs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n