Croatia population pyramid 2026
3,822,345 people in 2026 (projected). Croatia’s pyramid is widest at ages 60–64 and tapers to a base barely 60% as wide; deaths have outnumbered births since 1991.
- 2026 population
- 3.8Mrank 130 of 237
- Median age
- 45.5 yearsoldest rank 20
- Fertility rate
- 1.47births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older24.0% age 65+
Croatia population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Croatia age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 13.5% of the population, while 24.0% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 62.5% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Croatia’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 60.1: about 60 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (21.6 children and 38.5 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Croatia’s population pyramid
Two world wars in the 1950 pyramid
Croatia’s 1950 pyramid carries the marks of both world wars. The 30–34 band, born about 1916–20, during and just after the First World War, is far narrower than its neighbours, and the 5–9 band, born during the Second World War, forms a second notch. Young adult men are scarce: at ages 25–29 there are only about 75 men per 100 women, consistent with heavy wartime losses among men. By 1975 the First World War cohort had moved up to a deep notch at 55–59 and the Second World War cohort to a shallower one at 30–34.
Emigration, a second war and low fertility
Fertility fell early, to about 1.9 children per woman by 1970, and Croatia lost people through emigration for decades. The UN series records net emigration of about 600,000 between 1950 and 1999, a period that included large-scale labour migration from Yugoslavia to West Germany and other western European countries from the 1960s, and the displacement caused by the war of 1991–95. The population peaked at about 4.8 million in 1990, deaths have exceeded births since 1991, and fertility dropped to about 1.4 by 2000. Between 2000 and 2023 there were about 933,000 births against 1.27 million deaths, and net emigration of a further 131,000.
The 2026 pyramid shows the result. The widest bands are 60–64, born about 1962–66, and 45–49, born in the late 1970s. Below 45 the bands generally narrow with each younger generation (25–29 and 30–34 are about equal), interrupted by a modest bulge at 15–19, born 2007–11 and about 8% larger than its neighbours, which coincides with a brief rise in fertility to about 1.55 around 2010. The 0–4 band is narrower than any band below age 80.
More women at the top
Women live about six years longer than men, about 82 against 76, so the upper bands lean increasingly to the female side: 91 men per 100 women at 60–64, 80 at 70–74 and 56 at 80–84. Men slightly outnumber women up to the early forties, as is usual with a sex ratio at birth of about 106.
Under the medium scenario the population declines to about 3.2 million in 2050 and 2.1 million in 2100, less than half the 1990 peak, and close to a third of residents are 65 or older from mid-century. Slovenia, Bermuda and Serbia have the most similar age structures, and the oldest populations ranking shows how Croatia compares worldwide.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Croatia’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Deaths have exceeded births every year since 1991. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2000 and 2005.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Croatia is projected to record 30,609 births (about 84 births a day) and 53,431 deaths, a natural decrease of 22,822. Net migration adds −2,491 people, ranking #142 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 932,904 births, 1,268,286 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −131,064. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −18,031 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 82.1 years60.6 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 76.0 years56.1 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 18.0 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 3.2per 1,000 births · 117 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 3.8per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 31.0 yearssex ratio at birth 106.0
Women in Croatia are projected to live 6.1 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 117 to 3.2 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #199 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 31.0 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Croatia
The median age of 45.5 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.47 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 79.1 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,822,345 | #130 | Largest first |
| Median age | 45.5 years | #20 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.47 | #174 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -0.7% | #214 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 79.1 years | #70 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 24.0% | #15 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Croatia
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60–64 | 275,708 | 7.2% | 131.2K / 144.5K |
| 2 | 45–49 | 273,379 | 7.2% | 138.2K / 135.2K |
| 3 | 65–69 | 272,394 | 7.1% | 125.5K / 146.9K |
| 4 | 50–54 | 264,648 | 6.9% | 131.9K / 132.7K |
| 5 | 55–59 | 263,690 | 6.9% | 128.8K / 134.9K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Croatia has 1,845,258 males and 1,977,086 females. That is 93.3 males per 100 females, ranking #197 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 48.3% of the population and females for 51.7%. There are 131,828 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 70.1 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 106.0 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Croatia has changed since 1950
The population has decreased from 3,864,990 in 1950 to 3,822,345 in 2026, a change of 1%. Over the same span, median age moved from 25.4 to 45.5 years.
The under-15 share changed from 28.0% to 13.5%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 6.6% to 24.0%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Croatia’s population is projected to decline by about 15%, reaching 3,234,160 in 2050. The median age changes from 45.5 to 49.1 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 6.7 percentage points to 30.7%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 12.7%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 4,835,066 in 1990. Historical population totals are estimates rather than exact head counts. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3,864,990 | 25.4 | 2.93 | 58.5 | 97,115 | 47,388 | 0 | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 4,200,264 | 28.0 | 2.24 | 65.9 | 78,919 | 40,840 | −21,768 | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 4,462,674 | 31.2 | 1.88 | 69.2 | 63,300 | 43,607 | −2,359 | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 4,643,896 | 32.2 | 1.93 | 71.0 | 69,742 | 48,259 | −5,486 | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 4,835,066 | 34.6 | 1.63 | 72.2 | 56,936 | 52,192 | +9,538 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 4,326,105 | 38.6 | 1.42 | 74.0 | 40,917 | 52,624 | −47,629 | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 4,301,145 | 41.0 | 1.55 | 76.7 | 43,443 | 51,994 | −3,995 | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 3,953,958 | 44.2 | 1.48 | 77.5 | 33,454 | 57,059 | −8,552 | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 3,896,023 | 44.8 | 1.47 | 78.6 | 31,446 | 55,029 | +10,202 | -0.3% |
| 2024* | 3,875,325 | 45.0 | 1.47 | 78.8 | 31,379 | 54,207 | −5,186 | -0.7% |
| 2026* | 3,822,345 | 45.5 | 1.47 | 79.1 | 30,609 | 53,431 | −2,491 | -0.7% |
| 2030* | 3,725,770 | 46.6 | 1.48 | 79.8 | 29,759 | 52,485 | −952 | -0.6% |
| 2040* | 3,488,309 | 48.3 | 1.50 | 81.4 | 28,461 | 52,471 | −275 | -0.7% |
| 2050* | 3,234,160 | 49.1 | 1.52 | 82.9 | 25,161 | 50,541 | −659 | -0.8% |
| 2060* | 2,978,213 | 50.1 | 1.53 | 84.3 | 22,136 | 46,816 | −800 | -0.9% |
| 2070* | 2,735,392 | 51.2 | 1.54 | 85.5 | 20,729 | 43,607 | +618 | -0.8% |
| 2080* | 2,518,232 | 51.5 | 1.55 | 86.7 | 19,160 | 39,182 | −352 | -0.8% |
| 2090* | 2,324,531 | 51.9 | 1.56 | 87.8 | 16,916 | 35,548 | +231 | -0.8% |
| 2100* | 2,141,439 | 52.8 | 1.56 | 89.0 | 15,534 | 33,122 | −50 | -0.8% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 81,909 | 77,279 | 159,188 | 4.2% |
| 5–9 | 87,532 | 82,582 | 170,114 | 4.5% |
| 10–14 | 96,626 | 90,559 | 187,185 | 4.9% |
| 15–19 | 106,103 | 100,701 | 206,804 | 5.4% |
| 20–24 | 100,536 | 95,114 | 195,650 | 5.1% |
| 25–29 | 107,935 | 101,832 | 209,767 | 5.5% |
| 30–34 | 107,686 | 101,825 | 209,511 | 5.5% |
| 35–39 | 116,101 | 111,423 | 227,524 | 6.0% |
| 40–44 | 132,366 | 128,654 | 261,020 | 6.8% |
| 45–49 | 138,173 | 135,206 | 273,379 | 7.2% |
| 50–54 | 131,906 | 132,742 | 264,648 | 6.9% |
| 55–59 | 128,768 | 134,922 | 263,690 | 6.9% |
| 60–64 | 131,238 | 144,470 | 275,708 | 7.2% |
| 65–69 | 125,500 | 146,894 | 272,394 | 7.1% |
| 70–74 | 110,099 | 136,863 | 246,962 | 6.5% |
| 75–79 | 75,081 | 109,189 | 184,270 | 4.8% |
| 80–84 | 38,386 | 68,880 | 107,266 | 2.8% |
| 85–89 | 21,465 | 49,126 | 70,591 | 1.8% |
| 90–94 | 6,729 | 22,463 | 29,192 | 0.8% |
| 95–99 | 1,055 | 5,629 | 6,684 | 0.2% |
| 100+ | 65 | 736 | 801 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Croatia’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Slovenia98% overlap · median age 45.0
- Bermuda97% overlap · median age 46.4
- Serbia97% overlap · median age 44.7
- Bosnia and Herzegovina97% overlap · median age 46.1
- Portugal96% overlap · median age 47.2
- Isle of Man96% overlap · median age 46.3
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Croatia.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Croatia Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/croatia/
MLA
“Croatia Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/croatia/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Croatia Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/croatia/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Croatia in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Croatia's population in 2026 is projected at 3,822,345.
What is the median age in Croatia?
The projected median age in Croatia in 2026 is 45.5 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Croatia?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.47 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Croatia's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 15%, from 3.8M to 3.2M.
What share of Croatia is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 24.0% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 30.7%.
How many babies are born in Croatia each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 30,609 births and 53,431 deaths in 2026, about 84 births a day. Deaths exceed births by 22,822.
What is life expectancy in Croatia for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 82.1 years for women and 76.0 years for men, a gap of 6.1 years in favour of women.
Does Croatia have more immigrants or emigrants?
Croatia is projected to lose about 2,491 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −131,064.
What is the sex ratio in Croatia?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 93.3 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.