Agriculture is most certainly one of the pillars of the economy, and monitoring the production, prices and sales gives an insight into the state of agriculture, available resources, needs of the market and the opportunities for improving the sector that is immensely important for every country. Independent food production is a great advantage, and agriculture statistics contribute to planning and adopting appropriate measures.

If we consider agriculture as the bloodstream of a country, then the production of wheat is often called its lifeblood. It is worth pointing out that the production of wheat decreased by 0.9% in 2024, as compared to 2023. On the other hand, the production of grain maize increased by 3.8% in 2024, as compared to the previous year.

Livestock production is a vital element in this agricultural “organism“. In 2024, as compared to previous years, the number of livestock and poultry maintained an upward trend. Compared to 2023, the total number of cattle increased by 1.7%, pigs by 2.3%, sheep by 0.2% and poultry by 5.2%.

Available agricultural land is the basis for all agricultural activities. More than half of the agricultural land in 2024 was arable land and gardens, while more than a third were permanent grasslands.

The goal of every farmer, whether from a small private family farm or a large agricultural holding, is to place products on the market. The value of purchase and sale of agricultural products in 2024 amounted to 1 475.9 million euro, and out of that the value of sale from own production amounted to 904.3 million euro or 61.3%, while the value of purchase amounted to 571.6 million euro or 38.7%. Compared to 2023, the purchase and sale value of agricultural products increased by 1.7%, out of which the value of sale from own production of business entities decreased by 1.3%, whereas the value of purchase from private family farms increased by 7.0%.

In addition to this, there are other economic indicators within agricultural statistics. The value of agricultural production in 2024 amounted to 3 089 million euro, which was an increase of 8.8% compared to the previous year. The gross value added in 2024 amounted to 1 650 million euro, which was an increase of 18.3% compared to the previous year.

When talking about the statistics of this large sector, it should be emphasized that it also includes data from the fields of forestry and fisheries, both of which represent Croatia's great wealth and advantage. Therefore, it is pleasing that the total area of forest land remained at approximately the same level in 2024, as compared to previous years.

There can never be enough discussion about the importance of preserving forests and their resources, and for the purposes of this overview, we present the latest data on the production of forestry products. In 2024, as compared to the previous year, the total quantity of roundwood increased by 5.0%, while over the past few years the average quantity of roundwood remained at approximately the same level. Compared to 2023, the production of fuel wood increased by 1.4%, the production of industrial roundwood (wood in the rough) by 8.5% and the production of logs by 8.8%.


Fisheries and aquaculture

According to provisional data, in 2024, landings of small pelagic fish decreased by 25.7% compared to 2023. This continued trend of decreasing the landings of small pelagic fish is the result of several different factors, the most important of which is the implementation of restrictive management measures that have led many fishermen to permanently cease fishing, while for others, a precisely prescribed and limited number of fishing days has been set in order to achieve long-term sustainability of fishing resources at the level of the European Union and the Republic of Croatia. Climate change is also contributing to the continuation of the trend of decreasing landings of pelagic fish, due to those unfavourable conditions, the possible fishing days are further reduced.

The largest quantities of landings in the Republic of Croatia are achieved by purse seine nets, which are used to catch small pelagic fish (sardines and anchovies), and with a share of 86.8% they contributed the most to the overall reduction in landings in 2024.1)

Marine and freshwater aquaculture are often highlighted as having great potential, primarily due to their importance in healthy nutrition and the fact that the human population is growing worldwide, and sustainable management of fishing resources requires restrictive measures and a reduction in landings. In addition, we are also witnessing the negative consequences of climate change, which also contribute to the reduction of landings.

Marine aquaculture in the Republic of Croatia accounts for 84.9% of the total farming, with sea bass and sea bream (white fish), Atlantic bluefin tuna (blue fish) and mussels and oysters (shellfish) being the dominant species, while carp and rainbow trout predominate in freshwater farming.

1) Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries – Directorate of Fisheries

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