From November 2025 through October 2026, more than half of Croatia’s electricity consumption—about 56%—was supplied by low-carbon generation. Hydropower contributed roughly 27%, wind 14%, solar 9%, and biofuels 4%. Fossil generation supplied about 17%, comprising around 12% gas and 4% coal. Net imports accounted for the remaining 28%; their generation mix is not specified, so they should be considered separately rather than classified as either clean or fossil electricity.

Is Electricity Growing in Croatia?

Croatia’s electricity consumption is growing: the latest 2026 figure reached about 5,260 kWh per person, approximately 3% above the previous record of 5,103 kWh in 2025. This growth is encouraging as electrification and AI increase the need for electricity. However, low-carbon generation has not kept pace with its own historical peak: at about 2,930 kWh per person, it remained roughly 190 kWh, or 6%, below the 2023 record. Croatia therefore needs stronger clean electricity growth alongside rising consumption.

Suggestions

Croatia can build on its substantial wind contribution by expanding existing wind generation while accelerating solar development and pursuing additional nuclear electricity supply. Nearby regions offer useful examples: Hungary generates about 24% of its electricity from solar, while Bulgaria reaches 20%, compared with Croatia’s 9%. Denmark’s 58% wind share illustrates the scope for much greater wind generation. For nuclear electricity, neighboring Slovenia, at 43%, and Slovakia, at 66%, provide particularly relevant examples. Cooperation with Slovenia on nuclear expansion, alongside consideration of domestic nuclear development, could complement Croatia’s growing wind and solar generation and support a larger clean electricity supply.

History

Croatia’s recorded low-carbon electricity history has been marked by substantial year-to-year swings in hydropower. In the 1990s, increases of around 1.3–2.2 TWh in 1991, 1996, and 1999 were interrupted by a 2 TWh decline in 1997. The 2000s brought further alternating gains and losses, followed by a 1.7 TWh increase in 2010 and a particularly sharp 4.1 TWh fall in 2011. A strong 3.7 TWh recovery in 2013 was followed by further fluctuations, including a 2.6 TWh decline in 2015 and a 2.3 TWh gain in 2018. More recently, gains in 2021 and 2023 were interspersed with declines, and hydropower fell by about 1.4 TWh in 2024 and another 1.2 TWh in 2025. This uneven record reinforces the value of expanding wind, solar, and nuclear electricity to sustain clean generation growth.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (Nov 2025 – Oct 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.