Happy Valentine's Day with a bit of statistics!
Love has its volume, and Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity to turn it up a bit. That is why we’ve matched the greatest love hits of all time with some interesting statistical data. In the following paragraphs, you can find out which songs (and data) made it to our statistical playlist.
1. When a Man Loves a Woman
One of the most popular love songs of all time is definitely
When a Man Loves a Woman, which was first performed back in 1966. It was sung by Percy Sledge back then, but over time, it has been covered many times, thanks to which it has gained the status of a true love anthem. If we were to associate any statistical data with this song, it would certainly be the number of women and men in Croatia. According to the population estimate in mid-2024, the share of women in Croatia was 51.3%, and the share of men was 48.7%.
2. At Last
Even before Percy Sledge sang about the love of a man for a woman with his unique voice, there was the song
At Last. It was written in the 1940s, but it didn't really gain true popularity until 1961, when the famous Etta James breathed life into it. The song became Etta's trademark, and it is often chosen by newlyweds for their first dance. We may not have data on the number of couples who have danced their way into life together to the lyrics of this love classic, but we do have data on the number of marriages. In 2024, a total of 601 marriages were concluded in the month of love - February.
3. Time of My Life
(I've Had) The Time of My Life is a famous song from 1987, composed for the film
Dirty Dancing, and the legendary duet was performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. The song won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Grammy, and became a symbol of the 1980s. The film's final dance scene in which Patrick Swayze lifts Jennifer Grey into the air has become legendary. And what is the right time for love? Of course, there is no correct answer, but we’re bringing you data on the average age when couples in Croatia decide to formalize their relationship by entering into marriage.
4. My Heart Will Go on
This song was also made famous by a film. It is performed by Celine Dion and it became one of the most successful ballads in history thanks to the film
Titanic. The film won eleven Oscars, including the one for the best song. The plot is set on a cruiser, which inspired us to check how many passengers travelled on cruise vessels. In 2025, there were 95 foreign vessels on cruise that arrived in Croatian seaports, realising 758 journeys, with a total of 1.1 million passengers on board.
5. It Must Have Been Love
Just like
Titanic doesn’t have a happy ending, some marriages don’t either. Who knows, maybe it was to the tune of the song
It Must Have Been Love that some couples went through their breakups, and the fun fact about this song is that music critics describe it as the saddest breakup song of all time. Although the song has a melancholic tone, the members of the Swedish pop duo Roxette, who performed it, certainly had no reason to be sad, especially after the song was included on the soundtrack of one of the most popular love films of all time - the film
Pretty Woman. With the idea that every ending can also be an opportunity for a new beginning, we’re bringing you data on divorced marriages.
6. Can't Help Falling in Love
Any Valentine’s Day love playlist is unimaginable without a song by hitmaker Elvis. Although many of his hits could be ranked among the most beautiful love songs of all time, our pick is
Can't Help Falling in Love, which was also the last song The King performed live at his concert in Indianapolis. And which counties have the highest number of people "falling in love"? The County of Požega-Slavonia and the County of Vukovar-Srijem had the highest marriage rate in 2024, amounting to 5.6 in both counties, while at the level of the Republic of Croatia, this rate, i.e. the number of marriages per thousand inhabitants, was 4.5.
7. I Will Always Love You
And what do Elvis and Whitney Houston have to do with each other? The best-selling single of all time,
I Will Always Love You, was originally a Dolly Parton song from 1974, which Elvis wanted to cover, but Dolly turned him down. And then, almost twenty years later, Whitney Houston enters the scene, singing it in the film
The Bodyguard and reaching new heights with her performance. In addition to Whitney, the film also starred actor Kevin Costner, who played the character of Frank Farmer, a security guard who accompanies the singer on her tours. And how many people in Croatia shared, so to speak, a profession with the most famous bodyguard of all time? According to labour market data, in December 2025, a total of 12 789 people were employed in Security and investigation activities, eighty percent of whom were men.
8. The Power of Love
The fact that love is the most powerful driving force needs no emphasis, and the British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood has been remining us with their song
The Power of Love for decades that true love is not loud, but quiet, strong and constant. This Valentine's Day, create a romantic atmosphere, dim the lights (of which we produced a thousand in 2024, according to provisional data), start a playlist with your most beautiful love songs and remind yourselves that the true power of love lies precisely in the time we dedicate to each other.
Bonus track - Ljubav se zove imenom tvojim
Although we have focused on the greatest love hits of all time on a global level, we are dedicating a bonus track on this playlist to a Croatian song -
Ljubav se zove imenom tvojim (“Love is Named After You”) by Dino Dvornik - and we invite you to search the name of your loved one using our
name search engine and cheer her or him up this Valentine's Day with a cute piece of statistics.
The Croatian Bureau of Statistics wishes you a happy Valentine’s Day.
News
