Croatia, at 32.6 percent, is above the European Union average of 27.5 percent, while the situation is worst in Romania, where as many as 61.4 percent of residents cannot afford a holiday.
Every third Croatian citizen aged over 16 could not afford a week of annual leave away from home in 2025, according to the latest Eurostat data published by Financije.hr on 30 July 2026. The share of 32.6 percent is significantly above the European Union average, where 27.5 percent of the population was in the same situation.
At the Union level, this share rose by 0.5 percentage points compared with 2024, but at the same time it is 7.7 percentage points lower than ten years ago. Although tourism has fully recovered from the pandemic, millions of citizens still cannot cover even the basic costs of a holiday.
The highest share of those who cannot afford a week of annual leave was recorded in Romania, at as much as 61.4 percent. It is followed by Greece with 46.6 percent, and then Bulgaria and Hungary with 39.1 percent each. On the other hand, in Luxembourg this percentage is only 10.6 percent, in Sweden 12.4, and in the Netherlands 12.8 percent.
With 32.6 percent, Croatia ranks in the upper part of the scale, above neighbouring Slovenia, where 15.2 percent of the population could not take a holiday.
Eurostat data for 2024 also reveal the tourism participation rate, at least one personal trip with an overnight stay was made by 65 percent of EU citizens aged over 15. In Croatia, this share was 53.99 percent, while the highest participation was recorded in the Netherlands (83.6 percent) and the lowest once again in Romania (27.7 percent).
Of all trips in 2024, 71 percent were to domestic destinations and 29 percent abroad. The number of trips increased by four percent compared with 2023, by 67 percent compared with the pandemic year of 2020, and by as much as five percent compared with the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Financije.hr notes that the ability to go on annual leave is increasingly an indicator of living standards, not just personal choice. Wage growth in many member states is failing to keep pace with high inflation and increased costs of housing, food and services, making a holiday a luxury that many households postpone or forgo altogether.
For context, according to related articles on Financije.hr, 35 percent of Croats take their holidays abroad, with Italy being their top choice. Croats have an average of 25 days of annual leave.
