Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on socioeconomic indicators

FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS

According to provisional data, total export of the Republic of Croatia amounted to 143.7 billion kuna in 2021 and it was 31.6 billion kuna, or 28.2%, higher than in 2020. At the same time, total import of the Republic of Croatia amounted to 213.0 billion kuna, which was an increase of 40.6 billion kuna, or 23.5%, compared to 2020.

Foreign trade deficit of the Republic of Croatia amounted to 69.3 billion kuna in 2021, which was 9.0 billion kuna, or 14.9%, higher than in 2020.

In the period from January to December 2021, coverage of import by export was 67.5%, while in the same period of 2020, it amounted to 65.0%.

The most important foreign trade partners in export of the Republic of Croatia are EU Member States. Export to EU Member States in 2021 accounted for 69.2% of the total export and increased by 30.5% compared to 2020.

The largest foreign trade partners from the EU in 2021, observing data in kuna, were Slovenia – increase in export of 57.6% (share in total export of 12.7%), Italy – increase in export of 27.9% (share in total export of 12.5%) and Germany – increase in export of 18.0% (share in total export of 11.8%).

Export to non-EU Member States increased by 23.3% in 2021 compared to 2020, and accounted for 30.8% of the total export. The largest foreign trade partners outside the EU, with which the Republic of Croatia realised trade in goods in 2021, were its neighbouring countries Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Serbia. In the observed period, export to Bosnia and Herzegovina increased by 27.5% (share in total export of 8.5%), while export to Serbia increased by 29.5% (share in total export of 4.7%). In 2021, export to the United States of America increased by 31.1%, which accounted for 3.1% of the total export, and mostly refers to medicinal and pharmaceutical products.

The most important foreign trade partners in import of the Republic of Croatia were also EU Member States. Import from EU Member States in 2021 accounted for 76.5% of the total import and increased by 19.5% compared to 2020.

Import from Germany increased by 19.6% (share in total import of 14.8%), from Italy by 26.5% (share in total import of 12.6%) and from Slovenia by 20.3% (share in total import of 11.0%).

Import from non-EU Member States in 2021 accounted for 23.5% of total import of the Republic of Croatia and increased by 38.9% compared to the same period of the previous year. In 2021, import from Bosnia and Herzegovina increased by 45.6%, which accounted for 3.4% of the total import, and mostly refers to electricity. Import from the United States of America also increased in 2021, by 229.5%, which accounted for 2.0% of the total import, and mostly refers to liquefied natural gas.

Observing the total export of the Republic of Croatia in 2021, the most exported goods were petroleum and petroleum products, worth 12.4 billion kuna, electrical machinery, appliances and devices, worth 10.6 billion kuna, as well as medicinal and pharmaceutical products, worth 7.6 billion kuna.

In the same period of 2021, the most imported goods were petroleum and petroleum products, worth 15.4 billion kuna, road vehicles, worth 13.7 billion kuna, as well as medicinal and pharmaceutical products, worth 11.9 billion kuna.

Additional information:

FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA − Provisional Data January – December 2021 and January 2022
Statistics in Line - FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS