Croatia’s natural resources span the Adriatic coast, its extensive forests and several minerals such as bauxite, coal and salt. Forests cover 34.65% of the territory, its wildlife includes the gray wolf, and the Sava and Drava rivers sustain 105.2 km³ of renewable freshwater resources. What are Croatia’s most notable natural resources?
Croatia is a country on the coast of the Adriatic Sea with a wide variety of natural resources. Its biodiversity is rich and varied, with a large number of unique plant and animal species.
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Croatia’s forests cover a large part of the country and are an important source of timber and other forest products. Rivers and lakes are abundant and offer opportunities for fishing and tourism.
The Adriatic coast is one of the most outstanding areas, with sandy and pebble beaches and a large number of islands. Croatia’s natural resources are an important source of wealth and economic opportunity for the country.
What are Croatia’s most notable natural resources? What natural wealth does it have? Which minerals does it have, and how does it rank globally? How varied are Croatia’s plants, fish, reptiles, birds, mammals and amphibians?
Natural resources
Natural resources are materials or energy sources provided by or found on Earth that are useful to humans. Every product we manufacture is made up of natural resources.
- Renewable resources: these can be restored by natural processes faster than the rate at which they are consumed. Examples include solar radiation, wind, hydroelectric power, water when used properly, and plant and animal life.
- Non-renewable resources: once extracted, these are depleted and cannot regenerate. Examples include hydrocarbons, metals and minerals.
Examples of Croatia’s main natural resources
Croatia’s environmental snapshot
Land use, available water and energy, in comparable figures.
| Agricultural land | 26.6% of land area2023 |
|---|---|
| Arable land | 15.5% of land area2023 |
| Forest cover | 34.8% of land area2023 |
| Renewable freshwater per capita | 9,778 m³ per year2022 |
| Electricity from renewable sources | 69.9% of total generation2021 |
| Protected land area | 38.4% of land area2025 |
Oil and gas resources in Croatia
Croatia produced 11,341 barrels of oil per day in 2021, which places it 55th in the world. It also had oil reserves of 71,000,000 barrels in 2022, placing it 94th in the world ranking. Croatia is not known as an oil-producing region.
Despite relatively low annual natural gas production, Croatia has some natural gas resources. In 2022 it produced 745 million cubic meters of natural gas (Croatian Bureau of Statistics).
Croatia has a variety of mineral resources, including barite (barytes), used mainly in the oil and gas industry for well drilling; bauxite, the main source of aluminum, with applications in manufacturing products such as packaging and vehicles; coal, a key energy resource for electricity generation and steel production; and salt, which has many uses in the food and chemical industries.
Water resources of Croatia
Croatia had 105.2 km³ of renewable freshwater resources in 2020, which places it 62nd in the world ranking. This Central European country has many rivers and lakes; the main ones are the Sava and Drava rivers, along with the country’s largest lake, Lake Vrana.
These freshwater reserves are fundamental to the development and well-being of the Croatian population and to the conservation of the country’s rich biodiversity.
Average rainfall and soils of Croatia
Croatia has an average annual rainfall of 1,113 mm, which places it 72nd in the world. The country’s soils vary with actual moisture levels across the territory; most are fertile and rich in nutrients.
Renewable electricity and hydropower production in Croatia
In 2025, Croatia generated 11.2 TWh of electricity from renewable sources — 76% of its total generation of 14.7 TWh — and hydropower alone supplied 5.8 TWh (Ember, 2025). The country’s largest hydroelectric plant is Zakučac, on the Cetina River near Omiš.
This plant is a source of renewable energy for the country and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Forest resources of Croatia
Croatia has a significant forest area, covering 34.65% of its land area, equivalent to 19,391.1 km². This natural resource is very important for the country’s economy and environment, and the main forest region is Gorski Kotar.
Croatia ranks 105th in the world for forest area.
Environmental performance and protection of Croatia’s natural resources
In Croatia, natural resources are protected through terrestrial protected areas, which cover 38.4% of the country’s land area (World Bank, 2025). The link between these protected areas and the country’s position in the Environmental Performance Index is significant: Croatia ranks 25th, with a score of 62.3, in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI 2024, Yale University).
Natural parks of Croatia: the hidden wealth of natural resources
Biodiversity: animal and plant resources of Croatia
Birds of Croatia
Croatia has an impressive diversity of birds, with a total of 308 species recorded in 2018. Although it had no endemic bird species in 2020, the country ranks 119th in the world.
However, it is important to note that 14 of these species are endangered. Among the most notable species is the imperial eagle, considered the country’s flagship bird.
Fish and amphibians of Croatia
In 2019, 17 amphibian species were recorded in the country, placing it 80th in the world.
Croatia also has a total of 418 fish species, and its main species is the brown trout. However, 64 of these species are threatened.
Croatia ranks 133rd in the world for number of fish species.
Mammals of Croatia
Croatia has rich biodiversity, with a total of 95 mammal species, including the country’s main species, the gray wolf. However, 9 of these species are threatened.
Croatia ranks 75th in the world for number of mammal species.
Reptiles of Croatia
Croatia has 41 reptile species, ranking 106th in the world for number of species. This natural resource is very important for the country; its main species is the green lizard, which is endangered because of the loss of its natural habitat.
Organizations that protect or study Croatia’s natural resources
- Eko Pan – Non-governmental organization that promotes conservation and sustainable development in Croatia.
- Zeleni Telefon (Green Phone) – Free telephone hotline for reporting environmental problems in Croatia.
- Sunce Association for Nature, Environment and Sustainable Development – Works on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
- WWF Adria – International organization working on nature conservation in the Adriatic region, including Croatia.
- BIOM – Association of biologists dedicated to biodiversity research and conservation in Croatia.
- Greenpeace Croatia – International organization that fights climate change and environmental degradation in Croatia.
Croatia has the most indented coastline in the Mediterranean. Its 1,246 islands and islets, added to 1,777 km of mainland coast, give a total coastline of about 5,835 km; the islands alone account for 4,058 km of it, although only 47 of them are permanently inhabited (Wikipedia, Geography of Croatia, 2024).
Coastal tourism, an economic engine
That coast is the country’s main economic resource. In 2024 Croatia received 20.2 million tourists, who generated about 93.7 million overnight stays. The sector has consistently contributed between 10% and 15% of national GDP, one of the highest shares in the European Union (Wikipedia, Tourism in Croatia, 2024).
Domestic gas and the Krk LNG hub
Croatia extracts modest amounts of hydrocarbons: 745 million m³ of natural gas and 594,000 tonnes of crude oil in 2022, not enough to meet its consumption, so it imports 54% of its energy (Wikipedia, Energy in Croatia, 2022–2026). To reduce this dependence, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) moored at Omišalj, on the island of Krk, has been operating since January 2021, unloading LNG and injecting it into trans-European gas pipelines (Wikipedia, Krk, 2021).
Mostly low-carbon electricity
Between June 2025 and May 2026, 54% of the electricity consumed in Croatia came from low-carbon sources. Hydropower was the largest contributor, at about 28% of the total, followed by wind (15%) and solar (6%) (Low Carbon Power, 2025–2026).
Sources used
- Lists of countries by mineral production – Wikipedia
- Economic data by country – The Global Economy
- Forest area (km²) – World Bank
- Forest area (% of land area) – World Bank
- Oil reserves – The Global Economy
- Water and agriculture statistics – FAO
- Precipitation (mm) – World Bank
- Bird species – Mongabay
- Amphibian species by country – Mongabay
- Mammal species – Mongabay
- Endemic mammal species – Our World in Data
- Plant species – Mongabay
- Reptile species by country – Mongabay
- Endemic bird species by country – Our World in Data
Last updated: September 26, 2026
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