- Croatian companies more positive than EU average about economic climate.
- Business investments in Croatia jump to 26% above pre-Covid levels.
- Almost nine in 10 Croatian companies have acted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Investments by Croatian companies are 26% above pre-Covid levels and the country’s businesses are more optimistic than most in Europe about the economic outlook, according to a European Investment Bank (EIB) Group survey. In addition, almost nine in 10 Croatian companies have taken steps to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases – in line with the European Union average, new country results from the EIB Group Investment Survey (EIBIS) show.
EIBIS is an annual report based on polling of approximately 13,000 firms in all EU Member States plus a sample from the United States. Its main results were released in October 2024, showing that EU businesses lead the way in investments in climate mitigation and adaptation.
The detailed reports for individual EU countries were published today.
Key takeaways for Croatia include:
- The 26% investment increase in real terms compared with pre-Covid levels has been driven by greater optimism about the political, regulatory and economic climate, with 78% of Croatian companies expressing confidence on overall investments compared with an EU average of 80%.
- The share of finance-constrained Croatian firms has fallen to 7% from 11%, coming into line with the EU average.
- The share of Croatian firms that have taken steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is 87% compared with an EU average of 91%.
- The main investment obstacles for companies in Croatia are an insufficiency of skilled staff, uncertainty about the future and energy costs. Additionally, 84% of Croatian exporters report a need to comply with varying national rules in the EU compared with an EU average of 60%.
- The share of Croatian companies that have embraced advanced digital technologies is 62%, below an EU average of 74%.
"Croatia’s strong investment growth is a testament to its dynamic private sector and positive business sentiment,” said EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska.” Accelerating digital transformation and strengthening the innovation ecosystem will be key to sustaining this momentum."
The full country report about Croatia is available here.
Survey results feed into the annual Investment Report, the flagship publication of the EIB Group’s Economics Department, gauging the investment outlook for Europe’s economy. The next Investment Report will be released on 5 March 2025 during the annual EIB Group Forum in Luxembourg.
The annual Forum brings together key stakeholders from the government, business and finance domains to exchange views on investment priorities that support Europe's policies, including industrial decarbonisation, artificial intelligence, the Capital Markets Union, security, housing and EU enlargement. The theme of this year’s event is Investing in a more sustainable and secure Europe.
Background information
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.