Croatia Industry Employment
Employment in industry SL.IND.EMPL.ZS
Croatia's industry employment was 26.36% in 2025, ranked 150th globally. This represents a 1.1% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Croatia's industry employment stood at 26.36% in 2025, a decline of +0.30% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 25.73% by 2026. Croatia ranked 150th globally.
Croatia’s share of the labour force employed in industry stood at 26.36 percent in 2025, placing the country 150th in the World Bank ranking and only marginally above Sri Lanka’s 26.30 percent and Italy’s 26.43 percent. The indicator has trended downward since the early 2000s, falling from an all‑time peak of 30.85 percent in 2008 to a trough of 26.08 percent in 2017, before stabilising around the mid‑26 percent range. Over the 35‑year series, the decline reflects the structural shift toward services and the impact of the global financial crisis, which accelerated de‑industrialisation in many transition economies. The modest rebound after 2017 suggests that recent policy measures aimed at modernising manufacturing and attracting foreign direct investment have begun to curb the slide, but the sector remains vulnerable to external demand shocks. Continued investment in high‑value production and workforce upskilling will be crucial to reverse the long‑term downward trajectory.
Data & projection
| Year | Industry Employment | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028* trend | 24.65% | - | - |
| 2027* trend | 25.19% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 25.73% | - | - |
| 2025 | 26.36% | −0.30% | #150 |
| 2024 | 26.66% | −0.78% | #152 |
| 2023 | 27.44% | −0.29% | #156 |
| 2022 | 27.73% | −0.79% | #159 |
| 2021 | 28.52% | +0.47% | #162 |
| 2020 | 28.05% | +0.44% | #161 |
| 2019 | 27.61% | +0.30% | #160 |
| 2018 | 27.31% | +1.24% | #160 |
| 2017 | 26.08% | −0.60% | #155 |
| 2016 | 26.68% | +0.06% | #159 |
| 2015 | 26.61% | −0.27% | #158 |
| 2014 | 26.89% | −0.41% | #158 |
| 2013 | 27.29% | −0.18% | #159 |
| 2012 | 27.48% | −0.47% | #157 |
| 2011 | 27.95% | +0.50% | #162 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Croatia matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2021. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw industry employment improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Croatia's industry employment was 26.36% in 2025. Ranked 150th globally. This represents a 1.1% decrease from the previous year.
Croatia's industry employment peaked at 30.85% in 2008.
The lowest industry employment in Croatia was 26.08% in 2017.
Croatia ranks 150th globally in industry employment as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.IND.EMPL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Croatia's industry employment is projected to reach 25.73% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.
The industry employment of Croatia in 2025 was 26.36%. This ranks 150th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_croatia_industry-employment,
title = {Croatia Industry Employment},
url = {https://historysaid.com/croatia/industry-employment/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}