Croatia (Republic of Croatia)

https://www.humantruth.info/croatia.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Croatia Republic of Croatia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	43rd best
Capital	Zagreb
Land Area	55 960km²₁
Location	Europe, The Mediterranean
Population	4.2m₂
Life Expectancy	77.58yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$30 132 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	HR, HRV, 191₅
Internet Domain	.hr₆
Currency	Kuna (HRK)₇
Telephone	+385₈

1. Overview

“The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands, along with a majority of Croatia's ethnic Serb population. Under UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998. In April 2009, Croatia joined NATO; Croatia signed the EU Accession Treaty in December 2011 and ratified the Treaty in January, 2012.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Croatia´s rare blend of glamour and authenticity make it Europe´s `it´ destination, where beaches vie for attention with cultural treasures, ancient architecture and time-tested folk traditions. Croatia has been touted as the `new this´ and the `new that´ for years since its re-emergence on the tourism scene, but it´s now clear that it´s a unique destination that holds its own and then some: this is a country with a glorious 1778km-long coast and a staggering 1244 islands. The Adriatic coast is a knockout: its sapphire waters draw visitors to remote islands, hidden coves and traditional fishing villages, all while touting the glitzy beach and yacht scene. Istria captivates with its gastronomic delights and wines, and the bars, clubs and festivals of Zagreb, Zadar and Split remain little-explored gems. Eight national parks showcase primeval beauty with their forests, mountains, rivers, lakes and waterfalls. You can end your journey in dazzling, historic Dubrovnik in the south - just the right conclusion to any trip. Best of all, Croatia hasn´t given in to mass tourism: there are pockets of unique culture and plenty to discover off the grid.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Croatia National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
38	Portugal	0.866
39	Latvia	0.863
40=	Andorra	0.858
40=	Croatia	0.858
42	Chile	0.855
43=	Qatar	0.855
44	San Marino	0.853
45	Slovakia	0.848
	Europe Avg	0.87
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
45	Turkey	$31 033
46	Slovakia	$30 690
47	Bahamas	$30 486
48	Croatia	$30 132
49	Romania	$30 027
50	Greece	$29 002
51	Russia	$27 166
52	Oman	$27 054
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	29.1
2	Norway	32.3
3	Sweden	34.1
	...
40	Mauritius	63.6
41	Latvia	63.7
42	Lithuania	65.5
43	Croatia	65.7
44	Sri Lanka	66.5
45	Romania	68.4
46	Bulgaria	69.1
47	Argentina	70.7
	Europe Avg	55.7
	World Avg	88.9
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Croatia's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Croatia's population is predicted to rise to 4.185 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.53. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
125	Central African Rep.	4.7m
126	Mauritania	4.4m
127	Panama	4.2m
128	Croatia	4.2m
129	Kuwait	4.1m
130	Moldova	4.1m
131	Georgia	4.0m
132	Eritrea	3.5m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
41	Antigua & Barbuda	78.5
42	China	78.2
43	Czechia	77.7
44	Croatia	77.6
45	Barbados	77.6
46	USA	77.2
47	Estonia	77.1
48	Costa Rica	77.0
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
79=	Slovenia	1.55
80	Chile	1.54
81	Fiji	2.46
82=	Croatia	1.53
82=	Belgium	1.53
84	Costa Rica	1.52
85=	Sweden	1.52
85=	Hungary	1.52
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
169	Belgium	38.1
170	Switzerland	38.3
171	Canada	38.5
172	Croatia	39.7
173	Malta	39.9
174=	France	40.5
174=	Austria	40.5
176	Greece	41.3
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
38	Gabon	13.8%
39	St Kitts & Nevis	13.7%
40	Seychelles	13.6%
41	Croatia	13.4%
42	UK	13.4%
43	Latvia	13.2%
44	Spain	12.8%
45	Iceland	12.5%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
31	Micronesia	19.7%
32	Belarus	18.4%
33	Eritrea	18.0%
34	Croatia	17.1%
35	Liechtenstein	17.1%
36	Cyprus	17.0%
37	Marshall Islands	16.6%
38	Ireland	16.1%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#Croatia #croatia_human_rights #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #italy #morals #politics #prejudice #serbia #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
40	San Marino	53.1
41	Argentina	53.3
42	St Vincent & Grenadines	54.2
43	Croatia	54.9
44	Liechtenstein	54.9
45	Dominica	57.3
	Europe Avg	47.37
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Croatia does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Croatia comes in the best 20 in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₉. It does better than average in opposing gender inequality₂₀, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₁ (but bad for Europe), LGBT equality₂₂, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₃ (but bad for Europe), its average Freedom in the World rating (but bad for Europe) and in supporting press freedom₂₄ (but low for Europe). Croatia still has work to do. Croatia does worse than average for its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₅, freethought₂₆ and in eliminating modern slavery₂₇. The Roman Catholic Church and related national religious bodies systematically undermine women's rights, family planning and LGBT tolerance in Croatia, including applying direct pressure to doctors and medical staff₂₈. The Catholic hold on children's education is used to teach prejudiced and biased doctrine, especially to attack the non-religious₂₈. In order to maintain basic human rights, the Catholic Church and its national outlets need to be strictly disestablished and prevented from abusing its power.

Croatia has not been dealing with asylum seekers fairly, deporting some to Serbia without examining their cases₂₉ and returning others to Italy, therefore forcing other countries to bear an unfair portion, and damaging the lives of those seeking asylum.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Croatia

5. Croatia's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #croatia #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to Europe (2025)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
26	Cyprus	72.8
27	Germany	75.0
28	Albania	76.5
29	Croatia	77.2
30	Greece	77.8
31	Czechia	79.5
32	Malta	79.7
33	Estonia	81.2
34	Serbia	81.3
	Europe Avg	86.87
q=51.

Health (2025)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
51	Tunisia	75.6
52	Albania	76.5
53	Cuba	76.5
54	Croatia	77.2
55	Antigua & Barbuda	77.6
56	Greece	77.8
57	USA	78.7
58	British Virgin Islands	78.7
	World Avg	97.60
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue₃₁.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₃₁.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Croatia has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Croatia does better than average for its adolescent birth rate₃₂, its average life expectancy₁₁, its immunizations take-up₃₃ and in its fertility rate₁₄. Croatia does not succeed in everything, however. Croatia does worse than average for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄, its alcohol consumption rate₃₅ (still low for Europe), the prevalence of overweight adults₃₆ and in its smoking rate₃₇. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of its suicide rate₃₈. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Croatia improved by +6.5yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Croatia has had a long-term consistent fertility rate, and is one of only 22 countries to vary by less than 1.0 each decade since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 2.23 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
41	Antigua & Barbuda	78.5
42	China	78.2
43	Czechia	77.7
44	Croatia	77.6
45	Barbados	77.6
46	USA	77.2
47	Estonia	77.1
48	Costa Rica	77.0
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₅
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
129=	Vietnam	8.4
130	Ukraine	8.6
131	Netherlands	8.7
132=	Croatia	8.9
132=	Cameroon	8.9
132=	Canada	8.9
135	Rwanda	9.0
136	Iceland	9.1
	Europe Avg	10.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
79=	Slovenia	1.55
80	Chile	1.54
81	Fiji	2.46
82=	Croatia	1.53
82=	Belgium	1.53
84	Costa Rica	1.52
85=	Sweden	1.52
85=	Hungary	1.52
	Europe Avg	1.53
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		2014₃₇
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
158	Switzerland	1 634
159	Serbia	1 644
160	Cyprus	1 688
161	Croatia	1 709
162	Japan	1 713
163	Hungary	1 759
164	Estonia	1 775
165	Ukraine	1 854
	Europe Avg	1 648
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate₃₈
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₃₈
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
73	France	33.2
74	Moldova	35.7
75	Switzerland	36.2
76	Croatia	36.4
77	Estonia	37.9
78	Serbia	38.1
79	Finland	39
80	Belgium	39.1
	Europe Avg	26.99
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
80	Uruguay	80
81	Dominican Rep.	81
82	Zambia	82
83	Croatia	83
84	Indonesia	84
85	Bolivia	85
86	Kyrgyzstan	86
87	Moldova	87
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		1976 %₃₆
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
138=	Mexico	38.1
138=	Sweden	38.1
140	Belarus	38.2
141=	Croatia	38.2
142	Germany	38.7
143=	Bahamas	38.8
143=	Egypt	38.8
145	Libya	38.9
	Europe Avg	38.2
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		2022 %₃₉
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
163	Malta	34.6%
164	Uruguay	34.7%
165	Jordan	35.6%
166	Croatia	35.7%
167	Argentina	36.0%
168	Panama	36.1%
169	Mexico	36.1%
170	Libya	36.2%
	Europe Avg	25.9%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₂
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
34	Israel	7.4
35	Australia	7.7
36	Estonia	8.1
37	Croatia	8.2
38	Greece	8.3
39	Bahrain	8.7
40	Malaysia	9.1
41	Poland	9.2
	Europe Avg	11.4
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₃
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₃
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
48	Rwanda	96.1
49	Sao Tome & Principe	96.0
50	Malaysia	96.0
51	Croatia	95.9
52	Nicaragua	95.9
53	Tunisia	95.7
54	Japan	95.7
55	Portugal	95.7
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Responsibility Towards The Environment

#climate_change #Croatia #croatia_and_the_environment #Croatia_environment #the_environment

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₀
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
113	Canada	87.2
114	Guyana	87.4
115	Gabon	87.9
116	Croatia	88.5
117	Jamaica	88.6
118	Fiji	89.1
	Europe Avg	86.45
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

Croatia comes 116th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is computed using 21 data sets. Croatia does better than average in its environmental performance₄₁ (but low for Europe), its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₂ and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₃. Croatia doesn't do so well in other areas. Croatia does worse than average when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄ (still good for Europe) and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in terms of reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₅ (one of the worst in Europe).

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Croatia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

7. Croatia's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #maths #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2020)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₆
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
27	Malta	45.9
28	Ukraine	47.7
29	Bulgaria	47.8
30	Croatia	47.8
31	Liechtenstein	48.8
32	Romania	51.0
33	Belarus	51.5
34	Cyprus	55.6
35	Turkey	55.9
	Europe Avg	39.81
q=45.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₆
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
41	Palau	47.4
42	Ukraine	47.7
43	Bulgaria	47.8
44	Croatia	47.8
45	Liechtenstein	48.8
46	St Kitts & Nevis	48.8
47	Chile	48.8
48	Romania	51.0
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₇. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₇. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₈.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₄₉

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₇.

For more, see:

"Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₀
2	Israel	4.11₅₀
3	Japan	3.58₅₀
	...
38=	Malta	0.89₅₁
39	Greece	0.84₅₀
40	India	0.82₅₂
41	Croatia	0.81₅₁
42	Kenya	0.79₅₃
43	Ukraine	0.76₅₁
44=	Morocco	0.73₅₃
44=	S. Africa	0.73₅₄
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2018₅₅
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
20	Moldova	96.4%
21	Germany	96.3%
22	Russia	95.9%
23	Croatia	95.7%
24	Azerbaijan	95.6%
25	USA	95.6%
26	Norway	95.4%
27	S. Korea	95.2%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₆
Pos.		2021 Years₅₆
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
56	Liechtenstein	15.2
57	Mauritius	15.2
58	Belarus	15.2
59	Croatia	15.1
60	Montenegro	15.1
61	Hungary	15.0
62	Mongolia	15.0
63	Ukraine	15.0
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
30	Romania	30
31	Cyprus	31
32	Ireland	32
33	Croatia	33
34	Israel	34
35	Barbados	35
36	Estonia	36
37	Luxembourg	37
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		2015 Score₅₇
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
33	Italy	1456
34	Luxembourg	1450
35	Iceland	1443
36	Croatia	1426
37	Lithuania	1425
38	Hungary	1424
39	Israel	1416
40	Argentina	1406₅₈
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better₅₉
Pos.		2018 %₅₉
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
38=	Portugal	36
39	Azerbaijan	38
40	Chile	41
41=	Croatia	42
41=	Moldova	42
43	Argentina	43
44	Mexico	45
45	Kyrgyzstan	47
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better₆₀
Pos.		2006₆₀
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
53=	Lithuania	91
53=	Cambodia	91
55	Albania	90
56=	Croatia	90
56=	Kyrgyzstan	90
56=	Chile	90
59	Costa Rica	89
60=	Laos	89
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₆₁
Pos.		2016₆₁
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
42	Lithuania	77%
43	Latvia	76%
44	Lebanon	76%
45	Croatia	74%
46=	Hong Kong	74%
46=	Cayman Islands	74%
48	Macau	73%
49=	Israel	73%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₆₂
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₂
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
74=	Iran	0.1
74=	Zambia	0.1
76	Panama	0.1
77=	Croatia	0.1
77=	Costa Rica	0.1
77=	Serbia	0.1
80	Liechtenstein	0.0
81=	Cyprus	0.0
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better₆₃
Pos.		2024₆₃
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
30	Slovenia	62.3%
31	Cyprus	61.6%
32	New Zealand	61.1%
33	Croatia	61.1%
34	Malta	61.0%
35	Slovakia	60.7%
36	Hungary	60.2%
37	Australia	59.7%
	Europe Avg	61.0%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Croatia's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #croatia #culture #economics #equality #extremism #finland #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Europe (2020)₆₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₆₄
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
23	Portugal	48.2
24	Italy	48.6
25	Slovakia	48.8
26	Croatia	52.9
27	Romania	54.4
28	Lithuania	59.6
29	Moldova	59.7
30	Latvia	60.1
31	Kosovo	60.9
	Europe Avg	48.48
q=44.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)₆₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₆₄
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
38	Bhutan	49.2
39	S. Korea	49.5
40	Uruguay	52.6
41	Croatia	52.9
42	USA	54.1
43	Romania	54.4
44	Malaysia	55.4
45	Chile	57.4
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better₆₅
Pos.		2022 %₆₅
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
78=	Hong Kong	37.0
78=	Cameroon	37.0
78=	Iraq	37.0
78=	Croatia	37.0
78=	Moldova	37.0
78=	Israel	37.0
78=	Mauritius	37.0
78=	Lithuania	37.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better₆₆
Pos.		2022 Points₆₆
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
54	Rwanda	51.0
55=	Malta	51.0
55=	Saudi Arabia	51.0
57	Croatia	50.0
58=	Mauritius	50.0
59	Namibia	49.0
60	Vanuatu	48.0
61=	Jordan	47.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better₆₇
Pos.		2024 Score₆₇
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
69	Hungary	5.9
70	Trinidad & Tobago	5.9
71	Montenegro	5.9
72=	Croatia	5.9
72=	Jamaica	5.9
74	Bolivia	5.9
75	Kyrgyzstan	5.9
76	Dominican Rep.	5.8
	Europe Avg	6.37
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
35	New Zealand	35
36	Belize	36
37	Iceland	37
38	Croatia	38
39	Bulgaria	39
40	Marshall Islands	40
41	Malaysia	41
42	Namibia	42
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
7	Belgium	7
8	Norway	8
9	Finland	9
10	Croatia	10
11	Georgia	11
12	Philippines	12
13	Austria	13
14	Germany	14
	Europe Avg	42.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better₆₈
Pos.		2023 Score₆₈
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
11	Canada	1.35
12	Czechia	1.38
13	Finland	1.40
14	Croatia	1.45
15	Germany	1.46
16	Netherlands	1.49
17	Bhutan	1.50
18	Hungary	1.51
	Europe Avg	1.70
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
143	Belize	143
144	Haiti	144
145	Libya	145
146	Croatia	146
147	UAE	147
148	Central African Rep.	148
149	Bosnia & Herzegovina	149
150	Seychelles	150
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
55	Zambia	55
56	Lithuania	56
57	Ukraine	57
58	Croatia	58
59	Bangladesh	59
60	Seychelles	60
61	Philippines	61
62	Indonesia	62
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₆₉
Pos.		2019 Score₆₉
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
4	Equatorial Guinea	0.00
5	Cambodia	0.00
6	Portugal	0.00
7	Croatia	0.00
8	Benin	0.00
9	Mauritania	0.00
10	Slovenia	0.00
11	Costa Rica	0.00
12	Romania	0.00
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₇₀
Pos.		2019₇₀
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
28	Germany	3.80
29	UK	4.10
30	Hungary	4.20
31=	Croatia	4.30
31=	Poland	4.30
31=	New Zealand	4.30
34	Belarus	4.40
35=	Canada	4.60
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₇₁
Pos.		2023 %₇₁
1	Slovakia	24.1%₇₂
2	Slovenia	24.3%₇₂
3	Belarus	24.4%₇₃
	...
21=	Poland	28.5%₇₂
21=	Bhutan	28.5%₇₄
23	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	28.7%₇₅
24	Croatia	28.9%₇₂
25	Kosovo	29.0%₇₆
26=	Hungary	29.2%₇₂
26=	Kazakhstan	29.2%₇₂
28	Maldives	29.3%₇₇
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Croatia had the 2nd-lowest income inequality in the 1980s, beaten only by Finland.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #catholicism #christianity #croatia #croatia_freedom_of_thought #croatia_religion #democracy #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)₅₉
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₉
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
38=	Portugal	36
39	Azerbaijan	38
40	Chile	41
41=	Croatia	42
41=	Moldova	42
43	Argentina	43
44	Mexico	45
45	Kyrgyzstan	47
46	Kosovo	48
47=	Tajikistan	50
47=	Romania	50
49	Georgia	51
50=	Armenia	53
50=	USA	53
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
53=	Greece	56
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₇₈
Pos.		Higher is better %₇₈
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
42	Trinidad & Tobago	9
43	Albania	8
44=	Dominican Rep.	7
44=	Croatia	7
44=	Kyrgyzstan	7
44=	Cambodia	7
48	Moldova	6
49=	Italy	6
50	Laos	5
51=	Ireland	5
51=	Mozambique	5
53	Zimbabwe	4
54=	Namibia	4
54=	Iran	4
54=	Mexico	4
54=	Portugal	4
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₇₉:

Christian	93.4%
Muslim	1.4%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	5.1%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 94.9% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (7%). This is due to the so-called 'Census Effect', whereby many put down a religion for cultural reasons rather than because it reflects their beliefs. In highly Christian countries, as many as half of those who say they're a Christian lack any connection to a Church, and do not hold Christian beliefs (such as believing in God!).

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 95.2% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 42% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, other Christian 0.4%, Muslim 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.9%, none 5.2% (2001 census)₈₀.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Despite declining interest in religion, the Croatian government gifts huge amounts to the Catholic church as part of a mixture of legal and formal provisions, as well as through many indirect funding lines. Much of this is underpinned by four laws that were enacted in the 1990s without public consultation, causing controversy due to the hefty financial obligations involved, and, tying the Catholic Church in as a provider of services to law enforcement, education and curriculum content, politics and the armed forces.₂₈. The RCC uses its influence in school to teach against other religions and especially against the non-religious₂₈.

Policies that cause direct or indirect discrimination on the grounds of religion are not consistent with democracy or human rights. So, although Article 40 of the Croatian Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and religion₂₈, and Article 41 grants religious equality₂₈, in reality there is much to do to remove the entrenchment of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) before freedom of thought and secular fairness can be attained.

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