by croatiaweek
April 21, 2026
in
Zagreb
The average monthly net salary in Croatia continued its upward trend in February 2026, reaching €1,527, according to the latest official data released today by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics.
This represents a nominal increase of 1.1% compared to January 2026, and a real increase of 0.8%. On an annual basis, net wages were up by 7.8% nominally and 3.9% in real terms.
Gross salaries also recorded growth. The average monthly gross salary stood at €2,139 in February 2026, marking a 1.2% nominal increase from the previous month and 0.9% in real terms.
Compared to February 2025, gross wages rose by 8.9% nominally and 4.9% in real terms.
Large gap between highest and lowest-paid sectors
Significant differences remain between sectors.
The highest average net salary was recorded in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, at €4,281. At the other end of the scale, the clothing manufacturing industry reported the lowest average net salary, at €988.
A similar pattern is seen in gross wages. The pharmaceutical sector led with €6,884, while clothing manufacturing again ranked lowest with €1,314.
Hourly wages see notable increase
The average net hourly wage in February 2026 stood at €9.40, an increase of 11.1% compared to January and 7.8% higher than a year earlier.
Gross hourly wages reached €13.17, rising by 11.2% month-on-month and 8.9% year-on-year.
Employees recorded an average of 157 paid hours in February, down 9.8% from January.
The highest number of paid hours was in water transport (169 hours), while the lowest was in building maintenance and landscaping services (138 hours).
Median wages provide additional insight into income distribution.
The median net salary for February 2026 was €1,282, down 1.7% from January but 9.1% higher than the same month last year.
The median gross salary stood at €1,750, decreasing by 2.2% month-on-month but increasing by 10.5% year-on-year.
From January 2026, all data is presented according to the updated National Classification of Activities (NKD 2025), reflecting changes in how economic activities are categorised and analysed.
The latest figures confirm continued wage growth in Croatia, particularly on an annual basis. However, the data also underlines persistent disparities between industries, with high-value sectors such as pharmaceuticals significantly outpacing traditionally lower-paid industries like clothing manufacturing.