engleski

The Social Dimension in Selected Candidate Countries in the Balkans: Country Report on Croatia

This study gives an overview of the economic and social development of Croatia, covering its economy, labour market, education, demographic trends, income distribution and poverty. It discusses in detail the country’ s social protection system, its governance structure and civil society development, as well as specific issues concerning war veterans, war victims and areas of special state concern. In demographic terms, Croatia is a small country with a declining population. During the 1990s, Croatia had a highly centralised government structure, which has slowly been changing alongside a deepening of the democratisation process and civil society development. Economically, although recent years have shown encouraging trends in GDP growth and employment, Croatia still lags behind the new member states of the EU. Still, despite significant rises in income inequality and poverty in the post-communist period, the level of income inequality is identical to the EU level and the poverty rate is only somewhat higher. Croatia spends about a quarter of its GDP on social protection, mainly on pensions and healthcare. In addition, following Croatia’ s war of independence (1991– 95), the country must look after war veterans, war victims and internally displaced persons, as well as areas that had been seriously affected by the war.

labour market; education; demographic trends; income distribution; poverty; Croatia

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