Thursday, 2nd October 2025

Croatia’s Trade Deficit Widens as Exports Decline and Imports Rise

Croatia's trade deficit widened to 9.6 billion euros in the first half of the year, as exports slightly declined while imports rose, leading to a decrease in the coverage of imports by exports

Croatia’s merchandise exports reached 11.5 billion euros in the first half of this year, marking a slight decline of 0.3% compared to the same period last year, while imports surged by 4.2% to 21.1 billion euros, according to preliminary data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS).

This imbalance has resulted in a significant trade deficit of 9.6 billion euros, with export coverage of imports falling to 54.4%, down from 56.9% last year.

The DZS data reveals a notable drop in exports to EU member states, which decreased by 3.9% to 7.6 billion euros, while imports from the EU grew by 8.2%, reaching 16.6 billion euros

In contrast, exports to non-EU countries saw a healthy increase of 7.6%, totaling 3.8 billion euros, accompanied by an 8.2% reduction in imports from these nations, amounting to 4.5 billion euros.

Revised data for the first five months of the year show that exports remained steady at 9.6 billion euros compared to the same period in 2023, while imports rose by 5.4% to 17.6 billion euros. Consequently, the trade deficit for this period stood at 8 billion euros, with the export coverage of imports at 54.4%.

These figures underscore the growing challenges Croatia faces in balancing its trade, with rising import costs and stagnant or declining export performance contributing to an increasingly pronounced deficit.

Have a news tip or story to share? Email us at info@connectingregion.com

Zuckerberg Predicts Mobile Phones Will Disappear by 2030

TThis is inevitable as new technologies like augmented reality (AR) glasses and virtual reality (VR) devices reshape how people...

ProCredit Launches ProConnect Platform

The platform is the first of its kind in the region, offering firms the ability to present their products...

Switzerland Tops Global Innovation Ranking, China Enters Top 10

China has entered the top 10 for the first time, taking the 10th spot and replacing Germany, which fell...

Meta, Google, Microsoft Pay Top AI Experts Up to $300K

Meta, Google, and Microsoft offer top researchers up to $300,000 annually—and up to $1.5M over four years. Meta recently...

World First: Albania Elevates AI to Ministerial Rank

In a world first, Albania has appointed an artificial intelligence system to ministerial rank. Prime Minister Edi Rama announced...
spot_img

Connecting the Adria Region Decision Makers

The Region is more than a publication - it's where the region's elite converge for insights and opportunities