
Less than 20% plan to remain in Croatia
ZAGREB, 15 January 2025 (Hina) – The first survey conducted by the Institute for Migration Studies published on Tuesday shows that most foreign workers from Asia are satisfied or mostly satisfied with their life and work in Croatia. It became clear that he was satisfied.
Additionally, 90% of them financially support their families in their country of origin. It is noteworthy that while the majority (nearly 33%) plan to stay in Croatia for up to five years, only 19.5% intend to stay permanently.
The institute conducted a survey of 400 foreign workers from Asia and Africa from November 23, 2024 to January 12, 2025 to gain insight into their experiences of living and working in Croatia. Ta.
The largest group of respondents was from the Philippines (38%), followed by Nepal (26%), India (20%), Egypt (6%) and Bangladesh (5%). Others included people from Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China and Uganda.
“This first study brings us valuable insights and experience in studying the foreign worker population from Asia and Africa. We plan to undertake more comprehensive research of this kind to support better policy formulation for successful integration,” said Institute Director Marina Perić Caselli.
Most jobs are in the service and industrial sectors
A significant proportion of foreign workers surveyed are employed in transportation (22%), hospitality (19%), construction (17%) and industry (13%).
Regarding language skills, 53% said they could not speak Croatian but could understand basic words, 21% said they could speak a basic level of Croatian, and 18% said they could not speak Croatian at all. No, and 8% claimed to be fluent.
Regarding educational background, 50% of participants reported having completed secondary education, 35% had an undergraduate degree, and 6% had completed only primary education. Religiously, 36% identify as Roman Catholic, 15% as Sunni Muslim, 3% as Hindu, and others identify as various forms of Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Kirantism, They practice Sikhism or identify as non-religious.

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Financial support for families abroad
More than half of the respondents (51%) had been in Croatia for less than 1 year, 34% for 1-2 years, 5% for 3-5 years, and 9.5% for more than 5 years.
Almost 90% of foreign workers financially support their families in their home country. Furthermore, 55% plan to move to Croatia with their families, while 28% are undecided. On the other hand, 10% said they had no intention of bringing their family with them, and 5% said they did not have any family.
The majority of foreign workers (32.8%) intend to stay in Croatia for up to five years. Approximately 23.5% plan to live in Croatia for 6 to 10 years, 20.5% until retirement, and 19.5% plan to live permanently in Croatia.
Satisfaction with life in Croatia
When asked about their life satisfaction, 40% of foreign workers rated their lives highly (8, 9, or 10 on a 0-10 scale). Conversely, 26.5% reported being completely dissatisfied (score 0, 1, or 2), and 27% described themselves as neutral. Approximately 6% refused to answer.
Regarding the standard of living, 43.5% were highly satisfied and 24% were dissatisfied. Similarly, 44% were very satisfied with their performance and 25% were very dissatisfied.
Almost half of respondents (49.3%) were very satisfied with their sense of safety, and a similar proportion (48.8%) were optimistic about their future security. However, 28% expressed serious concerns about future security.
Regarding changes in quality of life, 34.5% reported a significant improvement after moving to Croatia, 46.25% saw a slight improvement, 11% saw no change, and 8.25% saw a decrease in their quality of life. I experienced
An overwhelming 87.5% of foreign workers believe that they are entitled to the same quality of life as Croats, while 12.5% disagree.
Various experiences of immigrant life
Opinions about immigrant life were mixed, with 22% believing their experience was close to ideal and 20% feeling far from ideal.
Approximately 33.5% rated the living conditions of immigrants as excellent, and 23% said they were poor. Thirty-eight percent of respondents were highly satisfied with their immigrant life, while 21% were extremely dissatisfied.
health and welfare
About 61% rate their physical health as good or very good, and 33% say it is good. Only 5% reported poor or very poor health.
Similarly, 62% rated their mental health as very good or very good, 31% rated it as good, and 7% reported poor mental health.
Additionally, 60% had experienced some form of physical pain ranging from mild to severe in the past 4 weeks, while 40% reported no pain.
Positive outlook for foreign workers in Croatia
“Survey results show that a relatively large number of foreign workers from Asia are generally satisfied with living and working in Croatia. However, a significant portion expresses dissatisfaction with their current position in society. Overall, we view the situation positively. The new foreigners law and recent initiatives will further strengthen the position of foreign workers in Croatia and are likely to attract more highly skilled workers in the coming years.” said lead researcher Ivan Barabanić.
The Ministry of Population and Immigration emphasizes efforts to increase birth rates, reduce immigration, facilitate the return of Croatian diaspora and integrate foreign workers into society.
“The results suggest that the situation is not as critical as is often portrayed in the public debate. Recent legal reforms are timely and provide a stable and stable intake of foreign workers. “There will undoubtedly continue to be a large influx of foreign workers to enable their integration into Croatian society and to meet the demands of the labor market in the coming years,” Barabanic concluded.