More than 1,800 people have used “I Choose Croatia” returnee programme since its launch in 2022, according to figures presented at a conference in Zagreb this week.
Government officials described return migration as a growing trend and pointed to a record number of Croatian citizens moving back to the country in 2024.
However, official statistics show a more nuanced reality. While 13,304 Croatian citizens returned to Croatia last year, 20,161 left the country during the same period, meaning emigration still exceeded return migration.
Croatia’s Returnee Programme Has Created 2,500 Jobs
During the presentation of the “I Choose Croatia” programme, Labour Minister Alen Ružić said that a total of 1,802 applications have been approved under the programme since 2022. Of those, 1,720 were submitted by Croatians returning from abroad, while 82 related to internal relocation within Croatia.
The highest number of returnees came from Germany, Austria and Ireland, countries that saw significant Croatian emigration after Croatia joined the European Union in 2013.
State Secretary Ivan Vidiš said Croatia’s labour market has changed significantly over the past decade, with more than 300,000 jobs created and average net wages rising to €1,555 per month, adding that these changes have encouraged more Croatian citizens to consider returning.
Many of those who returned used the programme to start their own businesses. According to government figures, the 1,720 returnees who launched businesses through the scheme now employ around 2,500 people.
More Croatians Returning, Government Says
At the end of last year, Mladen Barać, State Secretary at the Ministry of Demography and Immigration, told HRT that around 3.2 million Croats and their descendants live outside Croatia, with an estimated one million holding Croatian citizenship.
The largest Croatian community is in North America, numbering around 1.5 million people, followed by more than 600,000 in South America. Germany is home to approximately 500,000 Croats, while Australia and New Zealand together account for another 350,000.
“When we talk about return migration, the trend is clear and noticeable. Around 30,000 returnees have come from the European Economic Area. Last year was a record year, with 13,000 returnees registered,” he said, adding that an even higher number is expected in 2025.
Croatia Still Loses More Citizens Than It Gains
According to data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, despite the return of 13,304 people, Croatia still recorded a negative migration balance among its own citizens in 2024, with 20,161 Croatians leaving the country.
In other words, more Croatians left than returned during the year.
Foreign Arrivals Drive Croatia’s Positive Migration Balance
Alongside the 13,300 Croatian returnees, more than 57,000 foreign nationals moved to Croatia in the same year, according to official statistics.
The largest groups included Ukrainian citizens, Nepalese nationals and citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Between 2020 and the end of 2024, a total of 53,533 Croatian citizens returned to Croatia, while 125,167 left the country.
During the same period, 213,552 foreign nationals moved to Croatia, while 73,805 left the country.
The majority were foreign workers, as well as displaced Ukrainians living in Croatia under temporary protection.
Zagreb and Split-Dalmatia See Highest Migration Flows
The City of Zagreb, Zagreb County and Split-Dalmatia County recorded the highest levels of both immigration and emigration in Croatia.
Around one in five people moving to Croatia from abroad settled in the City of Zagreb, while a similar share of those leaving the country also departed from the capital.
