State Secretary Tokić: 13 300 emigrants returned to Croatia last year

Over the past three years, around 30 000 Croats who had previously lived and worked abroad have returned to Croatia, according to data from the State Statistics Bureau. In an interview for the state broadcaster (HRT) the State Secretary at the Ministry of Demography and Immigration revealed that the data for 2024 also offer reason for optimism.

The Croatian Government is launching a program for the demographic revitalization of depopulated areas through a subsidy for part of the principal on loans. The State Secretary at the Ministry of Demography and Immigration Frane Tokić explained to Croatian Television on Thursday that the program was created in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy: "The Ministry of Demography and Immigration and the Ministry of Economy worked on creating a program for returnees during 2025. They were sent to the Government, and through HAMAG (the Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovations and Investments), they will be credited to our entrepreneurs for the write-off of part of the principal. The Ministry of Demography is launching a subsidy worth 75 thousand euros."

As he explained, the ministry is monitoring data on returns from the State Statistics Bureau: "The correct data is that 30 thousand Croats have returned. The data for 2024 shows 13 300 returnees. We will continue to encourage returns with measures. Most people are returning to the areas of Zagreb and Split-Dalmatia counties."

Secretary Tokić emphasized that there are more and more people who are third or fourth generation emigrants and want to return from South America, and added that the main reasons for returning are family-related, including the safety of children, education and access to healthcare: "The second factor is the cost of living, and affordable housing. People realize that they can afford to live in Croatia."

Source: HRT