Market Research Companies in Croatia

Key figures for researchers

Population

3,871,833 (2021 census), 9.64% fewer than in 2011²

Largest counties

City of Zagreb 768,054, Split-Dalmatia 423,849, Zagreb County 299,983, Primorje-Gorski kotar 266,183, Osijek-Baranja 258,719 (mid-2021 estimate)⁴

Aged 65 and over

23.2% of the population (2024)⁵

Average age

44.3 years (2021 census)⁵

Households

1,436,893, 2.7 people on average; 27.8% are one-person households (2021 census)¹

Migration

70,391 immigrants and 38,997 emigrants (2024)⁵

Internet users

83.6% of people (2024)⁸

Mobile subscriptions

122 per 100 people (2024)¹⁰

Tourism seasonality

54.5% of nights in tourist accommodation spent in July and August (2025; EU 31.1%)¹²

GDP per capita

about US$27,100 (2025)¹¹

Research guide

Research landscape

Croatia has an established research industry serving local clients and international studies, with full-service agencies, polling companies, specialist qualitative and B2B firms, CATI studios, field networks and online panels. Zagreb, the capital (768,054 people in the City of Zagreb), is the largest market, followed by the counties of Split-Dalmatia (423,849), Primorje-Gorski kotar, around Rijeka (266,183), and Osijek-Baranja, around Osijek (258,719).

The international reference for research ethics is the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics, revised in 2025 and endorsed by over 60 associations in more than 50 countries. Ask agencies which code they follow and how they apply it to sampling, consent and reporting.

Languages and fieldwork

Croatian is the fieldwork language for almost all studies: in the 2021 census, 95.25% of residents gave Croatian as their mother tongue and 1.16% Serbian. Only 0.74% of residents (28,784 people) held a foreign citizenship, so other language versions are mainly needed for specific targets such as foreign workers or national minorities.

A national sample covers the City of Zagreb and the 20 other counties, with quotas or weighting by county or region and by settlement size. The population fell by 413,056 people (9.64%) between 2011 and 2021. Emigration reached a record 47,400 people in 2017, mostly to Germany; in 2024, Croatia recorded 70,391 immigrants and 38,997 emigrants. Recent population changes make up-to-date weighting targets important.

Which methods work

In 2024, 83.6% of people used the internet, and there are 122 mobile subscriptions per 100 people. In 2025, 88% of households had internet access, while about 10% of individuals had never used the internet, among the highest shares in the EU. Online surveys using access panels are used for many consumer studies, with mobile-friendly questionnaires; in 2025, 51% of internet users bought goods or services online.

The population is ageing: the average age was 44.3 years in 2021 (41.8 in 2011) and 23.2% of people were aged 65 and over in 2024. Telephone (CATI) and face-to-face interviews remain used for older or offline audiences, rural areas and islands, hard-to-reach groups and B2B decision makers. In-person focus groups can be organised in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and other large towns.

Timing

Summer is the peak tourist season: in 2025, 54.5% of nights in tourist accommodation were spent in July and August, against 31.1% in the EU. Respondents working in tourism are hard to reach in this period, as are families and business targets around 5 August (Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day) and 15 August (Assumption Day). Allow more fieldwork time in summer.

Other public holidays in 2027 include 1 and 6 January, Easter (28 and 29 March), 1 May, Corpus Christi (27 May), Statehood Day (30 May), 22 June, 1 and 18 November and Christmas (25 and 26 December). Avoid Easter week and the Christmas and New Year period.

Data protection

Personal data is governed by the GDPR and the Act on the Implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (Zakon o provedbi Opće uredbe o zaštiti podataka), published on 3 May 2018 and in force since 25 May 2018. The supervisory authority is the Personal Data Protection Agency (AZOP), based in Zagreb.

Under the Croatian act, a child can consent to information society services from the age of 16. Processing for statistical purposes is treated as compatible with the original purpose when appropriate safeguards are in place. Ask your agency which lawful basis it uses, how respondents are informed, where the data is hosted and how recordings or video will be shared with you.

Working with a local agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, counties, method, languages and deadline.
• Ask whether the agency follows the ICC/ESOMAR International Code and how it checks interviewer work.
• Ask which panels or fieldwork suppliers will be used, and how quotas by county, settlement size, age and gender are set and weighted.
• Check fieldwork dates against Easter, the July–August tourist season, 5 and 15 August and Christmas.
• Agree in writing who is controller and who is processor of the personal data, and the retention period.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 companies from this page.