Demographic "paradox" in Croatia - The country registers more insured people than residents!
A demographic paradox, with important political and economic dimensions, has been revealed in recent days in Croatia. While according to the latest data from the Statistical Office, the country's population reaches 3,861,967 inhabitants (data are from December 2023), the Health Insurance Institute registered 4,022,764 insured citizens on June 1, 2025. This constitutes a difference of more than 150,000 people, which is equivalent to a "missing" population almost equal to that of the city of Split.
The phenomenon, although not new, highlights the discrepancy between official population data and the number of insured persons. The new increase of almost 50,000 insured persons in less than six months raises serious concerns, as there has been no event or wave of emigration to justify this change.
According to data from the Ministry of Labor and competent authorities, the number of foreign workers in Croatia remains stable at around 130,000 and that two-thirds of work permits relate to new positions and not extensions. Therefore, it is not a massive influx of new labor that explains the excess number of insured persons.
But who are the "imaginary" insured? The phenomenon is explained by a number of structural weaknesses in the state mechanism. Delayed deregistration is the main link. Many Croatians who have emigrated permanently to other European countries remain part of the system, even though they no longer reside there or are not entitled to services.
There is also insufficient control of registrations. Foreigners working temporarily or without a clear status may be provided with incomplete or incorrect data, without fully meeting the requirements. Furthermore, there have been recorded cases of employers providing fictitious employees or self-employed persons with no real activity, simply so that they or third parties can gain access to registration numbers and tax legitimacy.
And not only that. The Statistical Service, the Ministry of Health, municipal registers and the insurance organization do not exchange enough data, resulting in a collection of figures that do not correspond to reality. However, there is still political reluctance to radically change the situation. An inflated register of insured persons could be useful in statistical reports, European subsidies or even to manipulate votes.
The economic cost of this distortion is huge. The state is burdened with additional costs for services that may not be provided, while the credibility of the health and insurance system is eroded. At the same time, citizens living and working in Croatia are asked to support, through their contributions, a system that operates partly on the basis of fictitious data.
The Croatian government has announced that it will continue with a full check of registered insured persons and improve the coordination between relevant services. However, experience shows that political will often encounters internal resistance and bureaucratic obstacles.
How are municipalities ranked according to performance? - Report/ Korça, first. Dibra, Elbasan and Berat, in decline
Municipalities across the country are in an invisible "race" for the best performance throughout the year. But which one has come out on top? The audit......
Solar energy grows - Power plants enter production, in January-April they generated 6.6% of the total
Energy produced by photovoltaic plants increased during the first 4 months of the year, compared to the same period a year earlier. According to data from......
Economic operators increase complaints about tenders - In four months, the state budget benefited 21 million lek
In the first four months of this year, 307 complaints from economic operators were addressed to the Public Procurement Commission. Meanwhile, in April, 84......
5 Albanians in Israel, in good condition – Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Embassy in constant contact with them
The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs is following with priority and special attention the situation of Albanian citizens in Israel, affected by the......
Over 2500 scholarships for vocational education - Which categories benefit?
The Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation, Blendi Gonxhja, announced through an announcement on social networks that registrations for vocational......
"US tariffs threaten global economy" - ECB head stresses that Europe's objective is stability
US tariff threats have hampered the global economic recovery, adding great uncertainty and deterring global investment, said Christine Lagarde, president of......
Nearly 97.8 males per 100 females/ From year to year, women dominate the gender ratio in Albania
According to official INSTAT data regarding the gender ratio in Albania, on January 1, 2025, there were 97.8 men for every 100 women. This indicates an......
Vlora, Dibra and Elbasan "lead" the growth of farmers / Agriculture becomes more formal. Around 105 units with NIPT by the end of 2024
The number of farmers equipped with NIPT at the end of 2024 is 105,709, marking an increase of 9.6%, compared to the number of farmers registered a year......
