Virovitica-Podravina County Records 4.37 Percent Increase in Births
The number of newborns rose from 526 to 549 in a year, with the county investing millions in kindergartens, schools, and maternity ward renovations.
The number of newborns rose from 526 to 549 in a year, with the county investing millions in kindergartens, schools, and maternity ward renovations.
Virovitica-Podravina County has ranked among the five Croatian counties with the highest growth in the number of births, according to data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. In 2025, 549 children were born in the area, 23 more than the previous year, marking a 4.37 percent increase.
The county attributes this positive trend to years of investment in demographic measures. Key projects highlighted include the renovation of the maternity ward at Virovitica General Hospital and the continuous expansion of the kindergarten network across the county.
Over the past seven years, a total of 16 kindergartens have been built, extended, or opened in Virovitica-Podravina County. Construction is currently nearing completion in Slatina and Pitomača, with a new kindergarten also being built in Mikleuš. Once all projects, including the one in Virovitica, are finished, spaces for an additional 426 children will be secured.
County Prefect Igor Andrović emphasized that these investments will fully resolve the issue of preschool availability. "All children will have the opportunity to attend kindergarten," Andrović stated.
The growing interest in kindergartens is confirmed by the numbers. In the 2025/2026 pedagogical year, 1,936 children were enrolled in kindergartens across the county, which is 532 more than in 2022. Once all new facilities are fully operational, nearly 2,400 places will be available, which should make waiting lists a thing of the past.
In addition to the preschool system, the county is also investing in primary education. Ten projects involving the construction, extension, and reconstruction of school buildings and sports halls are currently underway. The total value of these works exceeds 53 million euros, with the goal of enabling all schools in the county to operate in a single shift.
