OCDE - Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026 - Croacia de 2026

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DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: CROATIA © OECD 2026

Summary of key data and information Summary of key data and information Official statistical definition of homelessness (Table 1) The State Bureau of Statistics defines the homeless as a person who, due to a lack of accommodation, has no other options than to live on the street and without a shelter that is considered a residential area (so-called primary homelessness) or as a person without a usual place of residence who often moves from one type of placement to another, including apartments, shelters, institutions for the homeless or other residential premises (so-called secondary homelessness). Latest national estimates of homelessness (Table 2, Table 3) 617 individuals, representing 0.01% of the total population (2025) Point-in-time count, based on internal data from the Ministry of Labour, Pension system, Family and Social Policy ETHOS Light groups included Included: • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) • ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) Not included: • ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces • ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions • ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) • ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Notes: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4) The Social Welfare Act requires Service Providers to submit an annual statistical report to the Ministry responsible for social welfare affairs by 31 March each year for the previous year.

Homelessness Strategy (Table 5) • There is no national homelessness strategy in Croatia.

data on homelessness (Table 4) The Social Welfare Act requires Service Providers to submit an annual statistical report to the Ministry responsible for social welfare affairs by 31 March each year for the previous year.

Homelessness Strategy (Table 5) • There is no national homelessness strategy in Croatia. • Other (e.g. anti-poverty, housing) national strategy addressing homelessness: National Development Strategy 2030 Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6) • Internal Data of the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy: Regional offices of service providers provide information to the Ministry on service use (Table 6.1)

Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026: Croatia2  DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: CROATIA © OECD 2026

Table 1. Official statistical definition of homelessness Statistical definition Homelessness The State Bureau of Statistics defines the homeless as a person who, due to a lack of accommodation, has no other options than to live on the street and without a shelter that is considered a residential area (so-called primary homelessness) or as a person without a usual place of residence who often moves from one type placement in another, including apartments, shelters, institutions for the homeless or other residential premises (so-called secondary homelessness). For the purpose of exercising the right to benefits and services in the social welfare system, the Social Welfare Act defines a homeless person as a person who does not have a place of residence or the means to cover the costs of housing, and is accommodated or uses the service of organised housing in a shelter or overnight accommodation or resides in public or other places that are not intended for housing. Table 2. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by living situation Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology Year Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals) % of total population ETHOS Light 1 People living rough ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology Year Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals) % of total population ETHOS Light 1 People living rough ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation ETHOS Light 3 People in accommodation for the homeless ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends 2021 561 0.01% Not included Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified Not included Not included Not included 2024 632 0.01% Not included Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified Not included Not included Not included 2025 617 0.01% Not included Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified Not included Not included Not included Metadata: • Type of count: Point-in-time • Data are comparable across years: No

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: No o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: No ‒ Refugees: No ‒ Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No Note: Data refer to the total number of individuals exercising rights from the s ocial welfare system in 2024, specifically accommodation, organised housing and shelter for homeless people. The percentage for 2024 is an OECD calculation based on data from Croatian Bureau of Statistics (2025) Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, Internal data. Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, Internal data.

Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation Data not available. Table 4. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness Legal framework Law that governs data collection on homelessness Social Welfare Act (2022) Legal obligations The Social Welfare Act requires Service Providers to submit an annual statistical report to the Ministry responsible for social welfare affairs by 31 March each year for the previous year. 3

DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: CROATIA © OECD 2026

Table 5. Homelessness strategy Homelessness strategies in place National Homelessness Strategy • There is no national homelessness strategy in Croatia. • Other (e.g. anti-poverty, housing) national strategy addressing homelessness: National Development Strategy 2030 Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist No Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness 6.1. Internal data of the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy Description The regional offices of the Croatian Institute for Social Work on the ho meless provide data to the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy on the use of homelessness services.

Type of count generated Point-in-time Methods Service-based method Lead authority(ies) Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy Source(s) of information Shelters and Overnight Shelters (service providers). Scope National level Depth of data Enumeration Frequency Annual ETHOS Light groups included: • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) • ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges)

Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more subcategories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data

• ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges)

Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more subcategories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.

Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1.Population experiencing homelessness, https://www.oecd.org/content/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housingdatabase.html.

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