Croatia sees slight rise in births, but abortions also increase

Croatia saw a modest increase in births last year, with 32,936 babies born, a rise of 361 from the previous year. However, this positive trend is overshadowed by a significant increase in legally induced abortions, which rose by 342.

The data from the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) reveals a concerning long-term demographic decline. Compared to 2015, Croatia had 4,316 fewer births last year. The report highlights that while the number of births saw a slight uptick, the number of abortions, including spontaneous and legally induced procedures, also grew.

Split Clinical Hospital Center recorded the highest number of births, over four thousand, followed by KBC Zagreb with around three thousand. The data also noted 474 sets of twins and two sets of triplets born last year. The majority of mothers, 35%, were between 30 and 34 years old, with nearly 29% between 25 and 29.

Cesarean births continue to rise, accounting for nearly every third delivery in 2025, an increase from 24.4% in 2018 to 29.7% in 2025. In terms of abortions, Zagreb recorded the highest number of legally induced procedures with 501, followed by Primorje-Gorski Kotar County with 273. The data also indicated that over a third of women who had an abortion or pregnancy termination had not previously given birth.