Overview

Health insurance is mandatory in Croatia and covers all residents. No opting out of mandatory health insurance is possible and almost the entire population has access to a broad range of publicly paid services.

Croatia spends a smaller amount on health per capita than most other EU Member States, with total health expenditure representing 9.1% of GDP in 2021. However, the share of public spending on health (84.1%) is far higher than the EU average (75.5%) and the widespread uptake of complementary voluntary health insurance plans to cover patient co-payments, means that out-of-pocket payments amounted to only 9.4% of current health expenditure in 2021.

The Croatian health system has begun to recover the from the COVID-19 pandemic and the country has embarked on reforms in a range of areas, aiming to make health financing more sustainable, strengthen primary care, reduce hospital capacity and improve access to palliative care and expensive pharmaceuticals. However, progress in implementation has varied, with implementation still at an early stage in the areas of hospital reform, primary care and human resources management and planning. The National Development Strategy for 2020–2030 is a key strategic document to direct future reform and investment efforts in the health sector.