For years, the Croatian diaspora has contributed to the homeland through substantial financial remittances, comparable in size to the largest individual foreign investments. Even more important is the knowledge, business experience, international connections and lobbying capacity held by the Croatian business diaspora. Many emigrants work in advanced economies and occupy responsible positions in business, science and technology, making them a resource of strategic value for Croatia.

 

In today’s global environment, marked by demographic decline, economic uncertainty and an ageing population, countries that successfully connect their diaspora with national development policies gain a significant advantage. Croatia is no exception. The need for new investments, the modernisation of agriculture, digital transformation and the strengthening of the workforce makes the diaspora one of Croatia’s key partners for the future.

 

The Croatian diaspora represents a bridge to global markets, a source of capital and a community of people willing to return, invest or share their knowledge. This is why its active inclusion is not merely an opportunity but a necessity if Croatia wishes to strengthen its long-term economic and demographic stability.

When we speak about the number of Croats living abroad, we enter a space that is fascinating, emotional and at the same time very unclear. Today, it is often said that the Croatian diaspora counts around four million people. Some authors mention even higher figures, although these numbers cannot be verified with certainty. The reason is simple. For decades, the Croatian state did not develop a system for tracking its people abroad. No comprehensive registers, surveys or studies were created. The diaspora remained a distant and overlooked topic. This is why today we must rely on estimates.

 

Despite these uncertainties, there are commonly accepted ranges that give us a realistic picture. South America is estimated at around eight hundred thousand people of Croatian descent. Canada at roughly three hundred thousand. The United States at around one million two hundred thousand. Europe at approximately one million three hundred thousand. Australia and New Zealand together at about four hundred thousand. These figures are indicative. Some are based on census data, while others rely on community estimates and historical research. They are not exact, yet they clearly show that the Croatian nation is spread across the world and numerically exceeds its homeland many times over.

 

The story of Croatian emigration is more than a century old. The first major waves began at the end of the nineteenth century when poverty drove people to search for a better life. Many travelled to the Americas and Australia. The second wave came between the two world wars when political instability and economic crises forced young men to cross the oceans. The third wave expanded after the Second World War. Thousands fled the repressive communist system and built new lives in Canada, Argentina, Chile, the United States and Western Europe.

 

These three historical periods shaped the Croatian diaspora. People migrated in search of safety, work and freedom. They carried their stories, their songs and their longing. Some preserved the language and identity. Others slowly assimilated and lost visible ties with their homeland. This is a natural process and one of the reasons why defining who belongs to the diaspora is so complex. The exact number of people who no longer identify as Croats is uncertain. This is why we speak in ranges.

 

In more recent times, a new wave has emerged. Over the past ten years, more than five hundred thousand people have left Croatia. This movement has profoundly changed the country’s demographic structure. Young families, skilled workers and professionals have gone abroad in search of stability and opportunity. Others left because they felt worn down by the social and economic reality at home. It is difficult to predict how many of them will eventually return. The long-term consequences of this wave are still unclear, but the impact is already significant.

 

When we bring all these chapters together, we see a nation that has survived continuous migration and that today exists from South America to Scandinavia and Australia. The Croatian diaspora is not a single, uniform community. It is diverse and layered. It includes families who left a century ago and those who left a few months ago. Some still speak Croatian. Others no longer do. Some are trying to learn it again. Identity changes over time, but the root remains.

 

The greatest challenge is the absence of systematic research. Croatia never created structured registries or data collection systems, nor did it develop long-term programmes for engaging its people abroad. Because of that, we do not have precise statistics. We also do not have a clear understanding of the diaspora’s human, professional and economic potential. What we do have are community estimates and the lived experiences of Croats across the world. These tell us that the Croatian nation abroad is anything but small. It is strong, resourceful and experienced. And it may become one of the pillars of Croatia’s future development.

 

The story of emigration is not only a story of departure. It is a story of connection. It reveals a bond that persists. Even when people live thousands of kilometres away, many still carry within them a part of Croatia. Today, the time has come to reconnect this dispersed energy. To recognise that the Croatian nation is much larger than its territory suggests. And to use this fact as a foundation for a new vision of Croatia that no longer loses its people, but brings them together again.