Croatia vs Serbia
Croatia vs Serbia: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 56.3% of GDP in Croatia and 42.2% of GDP in Serbia, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Croatia, by 14.1 percentage points, or 1.33 times that in Serbia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Croatia has been higher since 2006, when it overtook Serbia.
- In 2025, Croatia ranked 66 and Serbia ranked 97 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Croatia at 57.8% of GDP and Serbia at 40.9% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Croatia | Serbia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 56.3 | 42.2 |
| 2024 | 57.4 | 44.1 |
| 2023 | 61 | 45.7 |
| 2022 | 68.6 | 50.9 |
| 2021 | 78.2 | 53.6 |
| 2020 | 86.5 | 54.3 |
| 2019 | 70.9 | 49.5 |
| 2018 | 72.9 | 51.1 |
| 2017 | 76.2 | 55.3 |
| 2016 | 79.3 | 65 |
| 2015 | 82.8 | 67.1 |
| 2014 | 83.2 | 63.5 |
| 2013 | 79.5 | 61.2 |
| 2012 | 68.9 | 58 |
| 2011 | 63.2 | 46 |
| 2010 | 56.8 | 42.5 |
| 2009 | 47.9 | 35.3 |
| 2008 | 38.9 | 29.4 |
| 2007 | 37.1 | 30 |
| 2006 | 38.4 | 37 |
| 2005 | 40.9 | 50.1 |
| 2004 | 40 | 57.6 |
| 2003 | 37.8 | 64.5 |
| 2002 | 36.5 | 68.4 |
| 2001 | 36.6 | 95.9 |
| 2000 | 35.4 | 200.6 |
| 1999 | 30 | – |
| 1998 | 23.3 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Croatia | Serbia |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 56.3 | 42.9 |
| 2027 | 56.6 | 42.9 |
| 2028 | 56.7 | 42.8 |
| 2029 | 57.3 | 42.2 |
| 2030 | 57.5 | 41.6 |
| 2031 | 57.8 | 40.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Croatia vs Serbia
Health
- Life expectancyCroatia: 78.6 years in 2023Serbia: 76.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCroatia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Serbia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCroatia: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Serbia: 4.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterCroatia: 85.4% in 2007Serbia: 75.1% in 2022
- DepressionCroatia: 2.78% in 2017Serbia: 2.57% in 2017
- Suicide rateCroatia: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Serbia: 12.7 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCroatia: 3.9 million people in 2023Serbia: 6.77 million people in 2023
- Population growthCroatia: -0.34% a year in 2023Serbia: -0.44% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCroatia: 1.47 births per woman in 2023Serbia: 1.5 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCroatia: 57.8% in 2025Serbia: 62.6% in 2025
- Median ageCroatia: 44.8 years in 2023Serbia: 43.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCroatia: 22.8% in 2023Serbia: 22.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateCroatia: 2.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Serbia: 0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCroatia: 2.02% of GDP in 2025Serbia: 2.76% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCroatia: $1.93B in 2025Serbia: $2.55B in 2025
- Military spending per personCroatia: $544 in 2025Serbia: $414 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCroatia: 4.1% of government spending in 2025Serbia: 6.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCroatia: 20,000 people in 2020Serbia: 32,000 people in 2020
- National powerCroatia: 0.05% of world capability in 2022Serbia: 0.09% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCroatia: 1.17% of the labour force in 2020Serbia: 1.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCroatia: 141 million TIV in 2025Serbia: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsCroatia: 53 million TIV in 2024Serbia: 39 million TIV in 2025