Supporting Croatia’s demographic revitalisation through stronger governance

This project, implemented through the European Union’s Technical Support Instrument, supports Croatia in establishing a multi-level governance framework for demographic revitalisation. It will equip national and subnational governments with the knowledge and tools to design and deliver evidence-based demographic revitalisation measures that foster balanced economic development, strengthen regional competitiveness and enhance resident well-being across the country. 

Context

Croatia is facing sustained population decline and ageing, which are reshaping public service needs, labour markets and public finances. Between 2011 and 2021, the population fell by 9.6% and is projected to decline further by 2050. These trends strain Croatia’s capacity to deliver education, healthcare and social services, put pressure on pension costs, and exacerbate skills shortages. Meanwhile, gaps in governance frameworks and data systems hinder effective responses to demographic change. Efforts to address these challenges are consistent with EU priorities to “tackle the root causes of demographic change”, as set out in the Commission’s 2024–2029 political guidelines.

Support delivered

The project will start with an analytical report assessing Croatia’s legislative, institutional and strategic framework for demographic revitalisation. It will then provide recommendations and a roadmap for establishing legislation framework. It will also deliver guidelines and workshops to help county governments integrate a demographic perspective into their development plans. The project will propose advanced tools, models and indicators to collect, analyse and interpret demographic data, and deliver technical guidelines and training to national and county governments on modelling and simulation tools. It will conclude with a final report offering practical recommendations for Croatia’s national and subnational governments. 

Expected results

Three main goals are expected to be achieved. First, the governments of all 20 counties and Zagreb City will have integrated a demographic revitalisation perspective into their development plans. Second, the government will have adopted improved tools and methodologies for demographic data collection and analysis. Third, it will have adopted new modelling tools to assess the impacts of demographic change.  In doing so, the project will contribute to the government’s objective of implementing a coherent set of effective demographic revitalisation measures across levels of government, supporting ‘stationary’ population growth and fostering socio-economic development throughout Croatia.