Croatia flag Croatia: Economic and Political Overview

Foreign trade figures of Croatia

Foreign Trade in Figures

Croatia joined the WTO in 2000 and depends heavily on foreign trade, which amounts to 104% of the GDP (World Bank, latest data available). The country mainly exports petroleum oils (9.5%), electrical energy (5.2%), medicaments (3.4%), and wood (2.2%); while imports are driven by motor cars (4%), petroleum oils (6.5%), petroleum gas (3.8%), and medicaments (3.2% - data Comtrade).

In the first eleven months of 2022, the EU accounted for 68.7% of Croatian exports (mainly towards Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, and Germany). Bosnia and Herzegovina was the second single destination (10.4% of total exports). In the same period, the leading import origins were the EU (70.3%, reflecting the structure of exports’ destinations), Serbia (3.4%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (3.4%), and China (3.3% - data Croatian Bureau of Statistics).

In terms of merchandise, Croatia has a structural trade deficit: according to figures by WTO, in 2021 exports of goods totalled USD 22.8 billion (+32.8 y-o-y) while imports increased by 29.4%, to USD 34.5 billion. However, the country is a net exporter of services, with exports – at USD 16.7 billion – far above imports (USD 5.1 billion). According to figures by the World Bank, the overall trade deficit stood at an estimated 1.5% of GDP in 2020, much lower than the level of -7% recorded one year earlier. Preliminary figures from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics show that in the first eleven months of 2022, the value of Croatian merchandise exports totalled HRK 165.8 billion (EUR 22 billion), an increase of 32.1% over the same period of 2021, while the value of imports reached HRK 287.8 billion (EUR 38.2 billion), up by 48.5% year-on-year.

 
Foreign Trade Values 20172018201920202021
Imports of Goods (million USD) 24,82928,20328,16026,71934,588
Exports of Goods (million USD) 16,06917,40217,18017,16722,812
Imports of Services (million USD) 4,5745,4305,5733,9325,163
Exports of Services (million USD) 15,05416,35417,1629,71416,770

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Indicators 20172018201920202021
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 97.699.7101.690.0104.0
Trade Balance (million USD) -9,538-11,440-11,754-10,083-12,602
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) 584-648-289-3,948-1,023
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 8.47.56.6-12.417.6
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 6.93.76.8-23.336.4
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 48.550.351.048.552.7
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 49.149.450.641.551.3

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Forecasts 20222023 (e)2024 (e)2025 (e)2026 (e)
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) 25.4-7.03.03.03.0
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) 25.0-2.53.32.11.3

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data

Note: (e) Estimated Data

 
International Economic Cooperation
Slovenia is a member of the EU since July 1st, 2013 and as such is a member of the EU Customs Union. The Republic of Croatia has signed agreements on free trade with the countries of former Yugoslavia: Albania, Turkey, Moldova, and Macedonia.
 

Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2022
Italy 12.2%
Slovenia 11.6%
Germany 11.4%
Hungary 11.2%
Bosnia and Herzegovina 10.4%
See More Countries 43.2%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2022
Italy 13.8%
Germany 12.5%
Slovenia 10.8%
United States 7.6%
Hungary 7.3%
See More Countries 48.0%

Source: Comtrade, 2023. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

25.4 bn USD of products exported in 2022
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 6.3%
Electrical energyElectrical energy 5.8%
Petroleum gas and other gaseous hydrocarbonsPetroleum gas and other gaseous hydrocarbons 5.6%
Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed...Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses "incl. those in the form of transdermal administration" or in forms or packings for retail sale (excl. goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) 2.7%
Wood sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled,...Wood sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed, of a thickness of > 6 mm 2.3%
See More Products 77.3%
44.1 bn USD of products imported in 2022
Petroleum gas and other gaseous hydrocarbonsPetroleum gas and other gaseous hydrocarbons 9.4%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 6.9%
Electrical energyElectrical energy 5.1%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 3.4%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude 2.9%
See More Products 72.4%

Source: Comtrade, 2023. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

To go further, check out our service Import Export Flows.

 

Main Services

9.7 bn USD of services exported in 2020
56.83%
15.83%
9.62%
9.32%
2.36%
2.31%
1.75%
1.08%
0.62%
0.28%
3.9 bn USD of services imported in 2020
29.29%
20.07%
16.21%
10.43%
8.05%
3.79%
3.31%
3.00%
2.51%
2.28%
1.08%

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2023. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

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Latest Update: September 2023

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