Croatia still a top investment choice, says German-Croatian Chamber

Croatia still a top investment choice, says German-Croatian Chamber

The 2025 edition of the survey – now in its 20th year – gathered responses from 101 member companies and paints an encouraging picture of Croatia’s business climate.

Nearly 90% of participants rated the current economic situation in Croatia as either “good” or “satisfactory”, while over three-quarters expect the country’s economy to continue growing at the same or even faster pace in the coming year.

One of the survey’s most telling findings is that 86% of respondents would choose Croatia again as a business location. This reflects a high level of trust in the Croatian market and recognises key advantages such as EU membership and strategic geographical position.

However, the results also highlight areas for improvement. Businesses are calling for simplified administrative procedures, a more efficient public administration, and a stable legal environment to further enhance Croatia’s investment appeal.

“Companies need security in planning, reliability, and processes that are simple, efficient, and transparent,” said Timo Pleyer, Managing Director of the Chamber, during a press briefing.

“Croatia has a real opportunity to strengthen its position as a competitive and reliable economy in the region.”

For the third consecutive year, the shortage of skilled labour remains the top concern for businesses operating in Croatia. Respondents said the issue is already impacting their ability to accept new orders and maintain production capacity.

Encouragingly, wage costs and planned investments remain stable, and many companies are taking proactive steps to address labour market challenges. Over half of the Chamber’s members invest in employee training and internal upskilling programmes, while others are adapting salaries to market conditions and embracing digitalisation.

“This trend is not unique to Croatia – it affects most of Central and Eastern Europe,” explained Marjan Vučak, President of the Chamber’s Board. “It’s encouraging to see our members recognising the importance of investing in human capital and adapting to labour market needs. This is the only path to sustainable and stable economic growth.”

The survey also placed a special focus on the impact of global geopolitical developments. A majority of businesses noted that the economic situation in Germany continues to directly affect their operations, despite most being based in Croatia or Austria.

Meanwhile, over half of respondents expressed concern that new U.S. trade policies could pose a moderate risk to their business – a sentiment mirrored in similar surveys conducted across 15 other Central and Eastern European countries.

Source: Google News