Data from the Croatian Vehicle Centre (CVH) for the first half of 2026 reveals a tectonic shift in new vehicle purchasing patterns, while the average age of the fleet remains high.
Hybrid cars have taken the lead among newly registered new vehicles in Croatia for the first time, pushing petrol cars into second place. This is one of the key findings of the latest data from the Croatian Vehicle Centre (CVH) for the first half of 2026. While the structure of new vehicle purchases is shifting in favor of greener powertrains, the average age of the overall vehicle fleet remains high and practically unchanged compared to last year.
In the first six months of 2026, a total of 117,388 initial registrations of all vehicle categories were recorded in Croatia, an increase of 4.4 percent or 5,019 more vehicles compared to the same period in 2025 (112,369). However, looking only at passenger cars (category M1), a slight decline of 3.6 percent was recorded: 84,409 passenger cars were registered, compared to 87,624 in the first half of last year. The main reason for this decline is a significant drop in imports and purchases of used vehicles. On the other hand, sales of new passenger cars increased from 41,825 to 44,012 units in the first half of 2026.
The most significant change concerns the structure of fuel types among newly registered new vehicles. Hybrid cars achieved a 39.6 percent share, taking the lead for the first time ahead of petrol cars, whose share fell from a dominant 48.2 percent in the first half of 2025 to 37.2 percent in the same period this year. Electric vehicles experienced strong growth: the number of newly registered electric cars rose from 1,138 in the first half of 2025 to 2,807 in the first half of 2026, more than doubling. A total of 22,227 conventional hybrids and 4,204 plug-in hybrids were also registered.
In the used car segment, the situation is different. Diesel cars still hold a dominant 52.6 percent share, although even here they record a decline compared to last year's 58.1 percent. Source Nacionalno Plus cites a figure of 40,397 used cars, noting possible inconsistencies in the timing of this data in the original CVH text, so it should be treated with caution. However, the trend clearly shows declining interest in purchasing older used diesel vehicles.
By the end of June 2026, a total of 1,492,490 vehicles of all categories had either extended their registration or been registered for the first time, an increase of 3 percent compared to the same period in 2025 (1,448,574). Passenger cars make up the dominant majority with 1,093,959 vehicles, an increase of 2.6 percent. Despite positive shifts in the structure of new vehicle purchases, the average age of the entire vehicle fleet stands at 14.8 years, while the average age of passenger cars is 13.3 years, a figure that has practically not moved compared to the previous year.
Tomislav Škreblin, Assistant Director of CVH, commented on these data with cautious optimism.
"The data for the first half of 2026 show that the Croatian vehicle fleet is still slowly rejuvenating. At the same time, it is encouraging to see the growing share of hybrid and electric vehicles among newly registered cars, confirming a gradual change in the structure of new vehicles. However, since a large portion of vehicles on Croatian roads are older cars, their regular maintenance and technical condition remain crucial for the safety of all road users," warns Škreblin.
The CVH's message is clear: while the technological transition towards greener powertrains is gaining momentum in the new vehicle segment, the fact that the average Croatian driver still drives a car that is 13 or more years old means that regular technical inspections and maintenance remain the first line of defense for traffic safety for all road users.
