Some Receive €1,318, Others €635
PM Plenković announces increases for 200,000 veterans, but data reveals a huge gap between privileged pensions and those earned through post-war work.
PM Plenković announces increases for 200,000 veterans, but data reveals a huge gap between privileged pensions and those earned through post-war work.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's announcement that pension increases will apply to around 200,000 Croatian veterans might lead to the wrong conclusion that all of them receive generous amounts. However, the reality is far more complex and reveals two almost entirely separate realities within the veteran population, where some receive an average of €1,318, while others get only €635 per month.
According to data reported by Teleskop.hr, the first and most well-known group consists of about 72,500 beneficiaries of disability and survivor pensions granted under special regulations for Croatian veterans. These are veterans whose disabilities are directly linked to the Homeland War, as well as family members of fallen, missing, or deceased veterans. Their average pension amounts to €1,318.
On the other hand, approximately 68,500 veterans who found employment after the conflict and received pensions under the standard pension insurance law. They have an average of about 31 years of service, but receive only €635 per month, which is less than half of what beneficiaries under the special veterans' law receive.
Their pensions are not entirely equal to those of people who did not participate in the war. When calculating a veteran's pension, the personal points are increased according to the number of days spent in combat zones, and volunteers enjoy additional privileges. However, the key issue is that this percentage is applied to a pension earned through wages and years of service. A person with low earnings, periods of unemployment, or a shorter work history, even after the veteran increase, can end up with a small pension.
For comparison, the average old-age pension under the general law, excluding international agreements, was €721.73 in June 2026. For retirees with at least 40 years of service, the average was €879.28. The average worker's pension is around €636, and more than 660,000 retirees in Croatia receive less than €570 per month. It is precisely in this segment of the pension system that many veterans who continued working after the Homeland War are found.
The Prime Minister now announces a special supplement to the pension, the amount of which would depend on the duration of participation in the defense of Croatia. Under the same criterion, the lowest veteran pensions would also be increased, and the last remaining reduction of pensions for soldiers, police officers, and other authorized officials would be abolished. According to the analysis, the number of around 200,000 does not refer to special veteran pensions, but would include beneficiaries of pensions under the veterans' law, veterans retired under the general regulation, beneficiaries of the lowest pensions, and part of retired soldiers and police officers.
Specific amounts per day spent in defense, as well as the exact calculation of how much each group's pensions will actually increase, have not yet been published.
On the 31st anniversary of the military-police operation Storm, August 5, 2026, Prime Minister Plenković posted a message on social media platform X, emphasizing that "Storm was a brilliant military victory, a legitimate liberation operation, and the culmination of Croatia's struggle for freedom." He reminded that under the leadership of the first president, Franjo Tuđman, Croatian veterans, soldiers, and police officers liberated the largest part of the occupied territory in just a few days.
"Today, three decades after winning freedom, our responsibility is to ensure its durability and strength, and our gratitude is expressed not only in words but through concrete care for the dignity of Croatian veterans," Plenković said, adding that Croatia is investing heavily in the military with the acquisition of Rafales, Black Hawks, Leopards, CAESARs, HIMARS, and Bayraktars, as well as strengthening air defense and cybersecurity, while reminding that the country is a NATO member.
