Number of occupied dwellings decreases by 4.2%, number of temporarily unoccupied dwellings increases by 43%

Data of the 2021 Census on dwellings published

According to the results of the Census on Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021, there were a total of 2 391 944 dwellings in the Republic of Croatia, which is an increase of 6.5% compared to the situation in the 2011 Census. The number of dwellings for permanent residence, which includes occupied and temporarily unoccupied (empty) dwellings (2 028 725) was 6.1% higher. The number of occupied dwellings decreased by 4.2%, while the number of temporarily unoccupied dwellings increased significantly (by 43.0%).
Except in dwellings, households also lived in other housing units, the number of which amounted to 1 976, and in collective living quarters, the number of which amounted to 1 441.
Detailed data on the number of dwellings by individual categories and change rates compared to the 2011 Census are presented below.

Out of a total of 1 433 445 occupied dwellings, the largest number refers to three-room (26.3%), four-room (26.0%) and two-room dwellings (21.6%). There were 12.6% of five-room dwellings, 7.1% of one-room dwellings and 4.1% of six-room dwellings, while the share of dwellings with seven, eight, and nine and more rooms ranged from 0.5% to 1.1%.

The average surface area of occupied dwellings in the Republic of Croatia is 92 m2, while ten years ago, according to the 2011 Census, it was 81m2.
Comparison by counties shows that dwellings have the largest average surface area in the County of Međimurje (114 m2), the County of Zagreb (110 m2), the County of Krapina-Zagorje (109 m2), the County of Koprivnica-Križevci (108 m2) and the County of Varaždin (106 m2). On the other hand, counties with the smallest average surface area of dwellings are the County of Lika-Senj (89 m2), the County of Primorje-Gorski kotar (83 m2), the County of Split-Dalmatia (82 m2), the County of Šibenik-Knin (82 m2) and the City of Zagreb, with 79 m2.
Observing the occupied dwellings according to the period of construction, it is noticeable that the largest number of dwellings, 275 104 or 19.2% of them, were built in the 1971 − 1980 period, 237 654 or 16.6% of them in the 1981 − 1990 period and 229 513 or 16.0% of them in the 1961 − 1970 period.

A total of 1 433 445 households lived in occupied dwellings in the Republic of Croatia, which used these dwellings on different bases. The largest share, 86.5% of them, consisted of households of private owners or co-owners, 7.8% of households used the dwelling on the basis of kinship with the owner or tenant, while 4.4% of households used the dwelling on the basis of freely negotiated rent with the owner of the dwelling. There were 1.0% of households with the status of a tenant with protected rent and 0.3% of households used the dwelling on other bases.

Published data are available via the following links.

• Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021 - Housing Units - Republic of Croatia
• Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021 - Housing Units - by Counties
• Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021 - Housing Units - by Towns/Municipalities
• Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021 - Households and Families - by Counties
• Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021 - Households and Families - by Towns/Municipalities