European Country Loses 10% of Its Population

Croatia has lost around 400,000 people, approximately 10% of its population, over the past decade due to emigration and declining fertility rates. The official news agency "Hina" quoted Lidija Brković, the director of the Statistical Bureau, stating that the total population of Croatia reached 3.9 million as of August 31, 2021, down from 4.3 million in 2011. Preliminary data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics indicated that the largest emigration occurred in eastern Croatia, while the least was in the capital, Zagreb. The data on birth rates has not been immediately clarified. The agency did not specify where those who emigrated went, but it has become easier for Croatians to live and work in other EU countries since their country joined the bloc in 2013. Brković noted that this census was the first digital enumeration in Croatia, with participation from 40% of the population, and it proved highly effective due to movement restrictions during the pandemic.