| Crime in Croatia |
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| Statistics (2023) |
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| Key Agencies |
| Major Issues |
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Crime in Croatia is generally characterized by low levels of violent crime and high levels of safety for residents and tourists. According to data fromEurostat, Croatia was ranked as one of the safest country in theEuropean Union in 2023 based on reported neighborhood crime and violence.[1] Official statistics are primarily published by theCroatian Police and theCroatian Bureau of Statistics.[2][3]
Croatia’s official criminal justice statistics are produced at multiple stages of the system, including police activity and prosecutorial decision-making. In 2023, Croatian public prosecutor’s offices decided on crime reports involving 45,644 adult alleged perpetrators; property offences were the most frequently reported offence group (48.8% of reported adults).[3]
According to the minister of the interior’s presentation of the police report for 2023, the overall crime clearance rate was 71.6%.[4]
Violent crime includes offences such as homicide, assault and sexual violence. In the Croatian police report for 2023, the minister of the interior stated there were 23 murders and that all cases were solved.[5]
Property offences (including theft-related offences) are a major component of reported crime. Prosecutor-focused statistics for 2023 show that property offences accounted for 48.8% of adult perpetrators in crime reports decided by public prosecutor’s offices.[3]
Croatia has specialised institutions tasked with investigating and prosecuting corruption and organised crime. The Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) is a specialised state attorney’s office with competence across Croatia; it was established in 2001 under the Act on USKOK.[6]
Perception-based cross-country comparisons are commonly reported through the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). Transparency International reports that Croatia scored 47/100 and ranked 63rd of 180 jurisdictions in CPI 2024.[7]
Croatia is geographically positioned on the so-called "Balkan Route," a primary corridor for the illicit transit of heroin from Afghanistan to Western Europe. While the country is mainly a transit point rather than a destination market, this flow has necessitated significant border enforcement efforts.[8]
In the 2020s, the southern port ofPloče became a notable entry point for cocaine smuggling from South America. High-profile seizures, including a record find of over 500 kilograms of cocaine in 2021, highlighted the use of container shipping for trafficking illicit substances into the region.[9] The Ministry of the Interior cooperates closely with international agencies such asDEA andEuropol to monitor these maritime routes.
Violence associated with football supporter groups (ultras) is a persistent public order issue. The most prominent rivalry, known as the "Eternal Derby," exists betweenBad Blue Boys (supporters ofDinamo Zagreb) andTorcida Split (supporters ofHajduk Split).[10] Incidents often involve clashes with riot police, highway brawls, and stadium disorder. In May 2022, a major clash occurred on the A1 highway near Desinec, resulting in dozens of injuries and the use of firearms by police to quell the unrest.[11]
Croatia is described as a country of origin, destination and transit for trafficking victims in international monitoring reports. The U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons report (as reproduced by ecoi.net) ranked Croatia asTier 2 in its 2025 report and described risks including sexual exploitation, labour exploitation and forced criminality, including among migrant workers and people in vulnerable situations.[12]
The Council of Europe’s GRETA, in its fourth report on Croatia, commended legislative and policy advances but also highlighted ongoing challenges in victim identification and assistance, and noted (for the period it reviewed) changes in the number and profile of formally identified victims and vulnerabilities among migrant workers and asylum seekers.[13]
Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics (SPACE I) reported that on 1 January 2024 Croatia had 4,445 inmates (including pre-trial detainees), a capacity of 3,953 places, a prison density of 112.4 inmates per 100 places, and a prison population rate of 115.1 per 100,000 inhabitants.[14]
The primary law enforcement body is the Croatian police, operating under the Ministry of the Interior and the General Police Directorate.[2]
Croatia participates in international police cooperation through, among other structures, an International Police Cooperation Department responsible for 24/7 international communication and cooperation channels including Interpol and Europol liaison and related systems.[15]
Croatia is a major tourist destination. The U.S. Department of State advises travellers that petty crime has been reported in densely populated tourist areas.
A specific safety concern is the presence oflandmines remaining from theCroatian War of Independence (1991-1995). While major tourist areas and coastlines are safe, demining operations are ongoing in remote inland forests and agricultural areas in counties such asLika-Senj andSisak-Moslavina. The Croatian government maintains a goal to complete demining efforts by the end of 2026.[16]