Croatia has a GDP of $92.5B compared to $42.8B for Estonia, ranking 74/197 and 102/197 by economy size, respectively.
Croatia has $53.3B in government debt (55.9% of GDP), compared to $10.1B (25.4% of GDP) in Estonia.
The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.
| Year | GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Croatia
|
Estonia
|
|||
| Current $ | Constant $ | Current $ | Constant $ | |
| 1990 | $25,650,213,280 | $46,596,559,831 | - | $14,658,008,363 |
| 1991 | $18,760,386,775 | $36,769,964,789 | - | $13,485,390,620 |
| 1992 | $10,621,169,291 | $32,462,991,993 | - | $10,630,714,641 |
| 1993 | $11,259,647,874 | $29,857,647,989 | $4,013,091,682 | $10,020,459,082 |
| 1994 | $15,062,911,617 | $31,610,433,645 | $4,123,011,420 | $9,855,880,594 |
| 1995 | $22,772,394,547 | $33,746,817,538 | $4,502,970,889 | $10,302,024,947 |
| 1996 | $24,150,978,347 | $35,808,404,184 | $4,786,018,988 | $10,811,255,303 |
| 1997 | $24,175,764,812 | $38,017,063,245 | $5,154,420,649 | $12,222,126,358 |
| 1998 | $25,890,228,430 | $38,873,085,038 | $5,674,080,543 | $12,752,545,573 |
| 1999 | $23,777,026,779 | $38,543,171,373 | $5,756,912,266 | $12,698,344,019 |
| 2000 | $22,134,411,297 | $39,678,365,282 | $5,686,579,748 | $13,979,307,069 |
| 2001 | $23,066,883,850 | $40,912,852,422 | $6,250,218,423 | $14,801,394,596 |
| 2002 | $26,757,722,429 | $43,287,159,654 | $7,370,119,619 | $15,827,575,405 |
| 2003 | $35,245,317,002 | $45,697,550,022 | $9,876,595,528 | $17,029,885,802 |
| 2004 | $41,836,292,157 | $47,603,359,433 | $12,148,595,031 | $18,188,037,435 |
| 2005 | $45,013,119,282 | $49,663,193,223 | $14,109,491,357 | $19,920,094,036 |
| 2006 | $49,590,197,657 | $52,186,811,454 | $17,025,671,810 | $21,864,807,422 |
| 2007 | $59,298,265,770 | $54,821,664,180 | $22,450,264,166 | $23,520,174,236 |
| 2008 | $68,478,776,206 | $55,900,878,030 | $24,342,935,404 | $22,314,692,031 |
| 2009 | $62,321,642,125 | $52,091,816,698 | $19,633,984,440 | $19,050,002,927 |
| 2010 | $58,981,738,869 | $51,396,869,396 | $19,524,355,419 | $19,516,680,413 |
| 2011 | $62,903,737,380 | $51,346,628,209 | $23,303,915,795 | $21,001,309,333 |
| 2012 | $57,551,963,753 | $50,189,405,845 | $23,237,406,116 | $21,772,481,344 |
| 2013 | $59,852,401,272 | $50,126,443,322 | $25,451,032,781 | $22,154,913,628 |
| 2014 | $59,612,144,078 | $49,847,163,745 | $27,055,689,003 | $22,891,074,857 |
| 2015 | $51,005,200,670 | $51,005,200,670 | $23,311,847,751 | $23,311,847,751 |
| 2016 | $52,654,855,638 | $52,770,556,703 | $24,561,027,788 | $24,032,887,680 |
| 2017 | $56,186,190,438 | $54,501,936,569 | $27,469,461,919 | $25,387,062,190 |
| 2018 | $61,668,130,123 | $56,085,044,234 | $31,222,632,741 | $26,326,306,711 |
| 2019 | $61,467,582,194 | $57,823,926,883 | $31,873,748,770 | $27,307,395,871 |
| 2020 | $57,963,370,885 | $53,017,808,755 | $31,820,771,494 | $26,519,903,137 |
| 2021 | $69,006,802,299 | $59,714,859,478 | $37,204,563,051 | $28,417,255,488 |
| 2022 | $71,198,635,102 | $64,066,840,477 | $38,376,046,175 | $28,434,428,183 |
| 2023 | $84,393,795,502 | $66,182,676,637 | $41,291,245,222 | $27,574,844,402 |
| 2024 | $92,526,176,109 | $68,707,509,494 | $42,764,929,169 | $27,502,872,345 |
Economic indicators
|
Croatia
|
Estonia
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$92.5B
2024 |
$42.8B
2024 |
| GDP rank |
74/197
2024 |
102/197
2024 |
| GDP growth |
9.64%
2023-2024 |
3.57%
2023-2024 |
| GDP per capita |
$23,931
2024 |
$31,170
2024 |
| GDP per capita rank |
50/197
2024 |
40/197
2024 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$48,575
2024 |
$49,334
2024 |
| Government debt |
$53.3B
2024 |
$10.1B
2024 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
55.9%
2025 |
25.4%
2025 |
| Government debt per person |
$13,796
2024 |
$7,362
2024 |
| Government debt per person rank |
42/185
2024 |
66/185
2024 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$20,265
2025 |
$21,368
2025 |
| Market capitalization of domestic companies |
$27.8B
2024 |
n/a |
| Number of billionaires |
1
2025 |
2
2025 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
23.3%
2023 |
23.7%
2023 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
2.9%
2023 |
3.1%
2023 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
48.9%
2025 |
44.4%
2025 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
2.97%
2023-2024 |
3.52%
2023-2024 |
| Unemployment rate |
5.03%
2024 |
7.5%
2024 |
| Population |
3839202
|
1355535
|
GDP per capita in Croatia vs Estonia
Croatia's GDP per capita is $23,931, ranking 50/197, compared to $31,170 in Estonia, ranking 40/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Croatia ranks 47th at $48,575, while Estonia ranks 45th at $49,334.
| Year | Current $ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Croatia
|
Estonia
|
|||
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1990 | $5,369 | $9,519 | - | $7,476 |
| 1991 | $4,001 | $7,912 | - | $7,146 |
| 1992 | $2,321 | $7,321 | - | $5,868 |
| 1993 | $2,448 | $6,856 | $2,686 | $5,810 |
| 1994 | $3,238 | $7,332 | $2,819 | $5,963 |
| 1995 | $4,929 | $8,046 | $3,134 | $6,475 |
| 1996 | $5,300 | $8,802 | $3,381 | $6,889 |
| 1997 | $5,331 | $9,534 | $3,683 | $7,978 |
| 1998 | $5,713 | $9,889 | $4,093 | $8,451 |
| 1999 | $5,269 | $9,943 | $4,141 | $8,412 |
| 2000 | $4,954 | $10,672 | $4,071 | $9,422 |
| 2001 | $5,365 | $11,654 | $4,503 | $10,310 |
| 2002 | $6,220 | $12,775 | $5,343 | $11,667 |
| 2003 | $8,190 | $13,693 | $7,205 | $13,137 |
| 2004 | $9,719 | $14,688 | $8,916 | $14,540 |
| 2005 | $10,444 | $15,451 | $10,415 | $16,638 |
| 2006 | $11,503 | $17,635 | $12,641 | $19,348 |
| 2007 | $13,758 | $19,571 | $16,745 | $22,201 |
| 2008 | $15,889 | $21,020 | $18,206 | $22,804 |
| 2009 | $14,476 | $20,350 | $14,712 | $20,478 |
| 2010 | $13,731 | $20,144 | $14,664 | $21,617 |
| 2011 | $14,695 | $21,196 | $17,556 | $24,652 |
| 2012 | $13,509 | $21,620 | $17,568 | $26,243 |
| 2013 | $14,136 | $22,432 | $19,310 | $27,831 |
| 2014 | $14,188 | $22,708 | $20,582 | $29,404 |
| 2015 | $12,285 | $23,759 | $17,722 | $29,721 |
| 2016 | $12,821 | $25,804 | $18,666 | $31,948 |
| 2017 | $13,903 | $27,889 | $20,852 | $34,507 |
| 2018 | $15,460 | $29,789 | $23,618 | $37,121 |
| 2019 | $15,564 | $33,064 | $24,021 | $40,586 |
| 2020 | $14,808 | $31,596 | $23,934 | $40,672 |
| 2021 | $17,790 | $36,933 | $27,954 | $44,252 |
| 2022 | $18,466 | $41,960 | $28,451 | $47,802 |
| 2023 | $21,865 | $45,603 | $30,133 | $46,790 |
| 2024 | $23,931 | $48,575 | $31,170 | $49,334 |
Spending and national debt comparison
In 2024, Croatia's government spending was $44.8B, accounting for 48.9% of its GDP, while Estonia's spent $18.9B, or 44.4% of GDP.
Debt-to-GDP ratio is 55.9% in Croatia and 25.4% in Estonia, ranking 94/185 and 168/185, respectively.
| Year | % of GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Croatia
|
Estonia
|
|||
| Government spending | Government debt | Government spending | Government debt | |
| 1992 | 37.1% | - | - | - |
| 1993 | 36% | - | - | - |
| 1994 | 45.4% | - | - | - |
| 1995 | 50.3% | - | 39.5% | 8.66% |
| 1996 | 52.1% | - | 38.6% | 7.3% |
| 1997 | 51.7% | 22.5% | 35.8% | 6.03% |
| 1998 | 56.8% | 23.3% | 38.9% | 5.4% |
| 1999 | 58.9% | 30% | 40.7% | 5.93% |
| 2000 | 54.6% | 35.4% | 36.4% | 5.11% |
| 2001 | 50.6% | 36.6% | 35.3% | 4.93% |
| 2002 | 49.2% | 36.5% | 35.9% | 5.66% |
| 2003 | 49.6% | 37.8% | 35% | 5.6% |
| 2004 | 49% | 40% | 34.1% | 5.16% |
| 2005 | 46.5% | 40.9% | 33.7% | 4.73% |
| 2006 | 44.6% | 38.4% | 33.5% | 4.72% |
| 2007 | 46.3% | 37.1% | 33.8% | 3.91% |
| 2008 | 46.3% | 38.9% | 39.5% | 4.67% |
| 2009 | 49.2% | 47.9% | 46.1% | 7.98% |
| 2010 | 48.1% | 56.8% | 40.7% | 7.99% |
| 2011 | 48.6% | 63.1% | 37.6% | 7.6% |
| 2012 | 47.3% | 68.9% | 39.4% | 11.1% |
| 2013 | 47.9% | 79.5% | 38.3% | 11.4% |
| 2014 | 48.7% | 83.2% | 37.6% | 11.6% |
| 2015 | 47.5% | 82.8% | 39.3% | 10.8% |
| 2016 | 45.9% | 79.3% | 38.9% | 10.2% |
| 2017 | 44.1% | 76.2% | 38.9% | 9.43% |
| 2018 | 44.9% | 72.8% | 38.8% | 8.51% |
| 2019 | 44.3% | 70.9% | 39.1% | 9.05% |
| 2020 | 53.7% | 86.5% | 44.7% | 19.1% |
| 2021 | 48.1% | 78.2% | 42.1% | 18.4% |
| 2022 | 44.9% | 68.5% | 40% | 19.1% |
| 2023 | 46.6% | 61.8% | 43.7% | 20.2% |
| 2024 | 48.4% | 57.6% | 44.2% | 23.6% |
| 2025 | 48.9% | 55.9% | 44.4% | 25.4% |
Government deficit by year
In 2024, Croatia's government deficit, the difference between spending and revenue, was -$1.98B, equivalent to -2.14% of GDP. This compares to Estonia's deficit of -$721M, or -1.69% of GDP.
Over the past 30 years, Croatia recorded a fiscal deficit in 26 of those years, while Estonia ran a deficit in 19 years. On average, Croatia posted an annual deficit equal to -4.07% of GDP, compared to deficit of -0.52% of GDP for Estonia.
| Year | Deficit/surplus, % of GDP | |
|---|---|---|
|
Croatia
|
Estonia
|
|
| 1992 | -5.69% | - |
| 1993 | -2.67% | - |
| 1994 | -0.82% | - |
| 1995 | -4.23% | -0.26% |
| 1996 | -4.41% | -0.93% |
| 1997 | -4.93% | 2.98% |
| 1998 | -6.36% | 0.65% |
| 1999 | -11.1% | -3.42% |
| 2000 | -9.2% | -0.11% |
| 2001 | -4.79% | 0.4% |
| 2002 | -4.9% | 0.29% |
| 2003 | -5.03% | 1.67% |
| 2004 | -6.09% | 2.29% |
| 2005 | -3.24% | 1.07% |
| 2006 | -2.01% | 2.71% |
| 2007 | -2.28% | 2.5% |
| 2008 | -2.34% | -2.92% |
| 2009 | -7.15% | -3.43% |
| 2010 | -6.46% | -1.09% |
| 2011 | -7.53% | 0.09% |
| 2012 | -5.46% | -0.86% |
| 2013 | -5.52% | -0.66% |
| 2014 | -5.19% | 0.42% |
| 2015 | -3.53% | -0.24% |
| 2016 | -1.04% | -0.62% |
| 2017 | 0.8% | -1.07% |
| 2018 | 0.23% | -1.15% |
| 2019 | 2.31% | -0.11% |
| 2020 | -7.23% | -5.42% |
| 2021 | -2.55% | -2.57% |
| 2022 | 0.14% | -1.07% |
| 2023 | -0.86% | -3.14% |
| 2024 | -2.14% | -1.69% |
| 2025 | -2.36% | -2.69% |
Inflation comparison by year
Over the past 29 years, Croatia has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 2.95%, compared with 5.1% in Estonia. In 2024, inflation was 2.97% in Croatia and 3.52% in Estonia.
| Year | Inflation | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Croatia
|
Estonia
|
Croatia
|
Estonia
|
| 1996 | 4.3% | 23.1% | |
| 1997 | 4.17% | 10.6% | |
| 1998 | 6.4% | 8.21% | |
| 1999 | 4.02% | 3.3% | |
| 2000 | 4.61% | 4.02% | |
| 2001 | 3.78% | 5.75% | |
| 2002 | 1.67% | 3.57% | |
| 2003 | 1.77% | 1.33% | |
| 2004 | 2.06% | 3.05% | |
| 2005 | 3.32% | 4.08% | |
| 2006 | 3.19% | 4.44% | |
| 2007 | 2.9% | 6.6% | |
| 2008 | 6.08% | 10.4% | |
| 2009 | 2.38% | -0.08% | |
| 2010 | 1.03% | 2.97% | |
| 2011 | 2.27% | 4.98% | |
| 2012 | 3.41% | 3.93% | |
| 2013 | 2.22% | 2.78% | |
| 2014 | -0.22% | -0.11% | |
| 2015 | -0.46% | -0.49% | |
| 2016 | -1.12% | 0.15% | |
| 2017 | 1.13% | 3.42% | |
| 2018 | 1.5% | 3.44% | |
| 2019 | 0.77% | 2.28% | |
| 2020 | 0.15% | -0.44% | |
| 2021 | 2.55% | 4.65% | |
| 2022 | 10.8% | 19.4% | |
| 2023 | 7.94% | 9.16% | |
| 2024 | 2.97% | 3.52% | |
Top exports between countries
|
Croatia
|
|
|---|---|
| Export category | Export value |
| Transport & tourism services | $7.69M |
| Machinery & equipment | $5.99M |
| Business & finance services | $4.32M |
| IT & IP services | $4.32M |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $2.81M |
| Manufacturing & construction services | $2.16M |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $1.46M |
| Wood & paper products | $894K |
| Chemicals & pharma | $717K |
| Metals | $580K |
|
Estonia
|
|
|---|---|
| Export category | Export value |
| Business & finance services | $22.2M |
| Animal & marine products | $6.25M |
| Machinery & equipment | $5.6M |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $3.05M |
| IT & IP services | $3.03M |
| Metals | $2.77M |
| Transport & tourism services | $1.84M |
| Chemicals & pharma | $1.6M |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $1.24M |
| Raw materials & minerals | $1.12M |
Balance of trade
|
Croatia
|
Estonia
|
|
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
-$1.05B
2024 |
-$578M
2024 |
| Current account balance ranking |
124/189
2024 |
104/189
2024 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
-1.13%
2024 |
-1.35%
2024 |
| Goods imports |
$41.5B
2024 |
$22.1B
2024 |
| Goods exports |
$21.9B
2024 |
$19.1B
2024 |
| Service imports |
$8.35B
2024 |
$10.4B
2024 |
| Service exports |
$24.7B
2024 |
$13.6B
2024 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
52.9%
2024 |
75.7%
2024 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
49.8%
2024 |
76.3%
2024 |
Economic freedom indices
The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.
|
Croatia
|
Estonia
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 68.7 | 78.9 |
| Economic freedom ranking | 45/197 | 9/197 |
| Property rights | 81.3 | 93.7 |
| Government integrity | 53.4 | 84.5 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 71.4 | 93.9 |
| Tax burden | 77.3 | 80.8 |
| Government spending | 35.1 | 48.8 |
| Fiscal health | 90.3 | 90.9 |
| Business freedom | 80.4 | 83.3 |
| Labor freedom | 69.1 | 62.2 |
| Monetary freedom | 66.6 | 68.8 |
| Trade freedom | 79.6 | 79.6 |
| Investment freedom | 60 | 90 |
| Financial freedom | 60 | 70 |
Economic freedom by year comparison
The Economic Freedom Index for Croatia is 68.7, ranking 45/197, compared to 78.9 for Estonia, ranking 9/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.
| Year | Economic freedom index | |
|---|---|---|
|
Croatia
|
Estonia
|
|
| 1995 | - | 65.2 |
| 1996 | 48 | 65.4 |
| 1997 | 46.7 | 69.1 |
| 1998 | 51.7 | 72.5 |
| 1999 | 53.1 | 73.8 |
| 2000 | 53.6 | 69.9 |
| 2001 | 50.7 | 76.1 |
| 2002 | 51.1 | 77.6 |
| 2003 | 53.3 | 77.7 |
| 2004 | 53.1 | 77.4 |
| 2005 | 51.9 | 75.2 |
| 2006 | 53.6 | 74.9 |
| 2007 | 53.4 | 78 |
| 2008 | 54.1 | 77.9 |
| 2009 | 55.1 | 76.4 |
| 2010 | 59.2 | 74.7 |
| 2011 | 61.1 | 75.2 |
| 2012 | 60.9 | 73.2 |
| 2013 | 61.3 | 75.3 |
| 2014 | 60.4 | 75.9 |
| 2015 | 61.5 | 76.8 |
| 2016 | 59.1 | 77.2 |
| 2017 | 59.4 | 79.1 |
| 2018 | 61 | 78.8 |
| 2019 | 61.4 | 76.6 |
| 2020 | 62.2 | 77.7 |
| 2021 | 63.6 | 78.2 |
| 2022 | 67.6 | 80 |
| 2023 | 66.4 | 78.6 |
| 2024 | 67.2 | 77.8 |
| 2025 | 68.7 | 78.9 |
More economic indicators
|
Croatia
|
Estonia
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
59.7%
2024 |
65.1%
2024 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
19.8%
2024 |
20.5%
2024 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
3.41%
2024 |
1.91%
2024 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$85.4B
2024 |
$39.4B
2024 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$48,760
2024 |
$48,260
2024 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$3.34B
2024 |
$2.07B
2024 |
| Total reserves ranking |
116/177
2024 |
125/177
2024 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$1.88B
2024 |
-$270M
2024 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$4.67B
2024 |
-$3.46B
2024 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$2.79B
2024 |
-$3.73B
2024 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
20.3%
2023 |
22.5%
2022 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
23.5%
2024 |
26.2%
2024 |
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
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Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.