Statistics

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Overview of statistical practice

Applications and granting of protection status at first instance: figures for 2024 (1)

Limited asylum statistics for 2024 can be found on the website of the Ministry of Interior (MOI).[1] However, publicly available statistics on a breakdown on the outcome of the procedure are not available. In 2024, 26,776 persons expressed their intention to apply for international protection (i.e., made an application for international protection) (19,907 male, 6,869 female).[2] The top 10 countries were: Syria (7,560), Türkiye (5,759), Russian Federation (4,057), Afghanistan (2,293), Egypt (832), Pakistan (761), Morocco (733), Iraq (712), Bangladesh (659), and India (539). According to the 2024 Ombudswoman report, out of a total of 26,776 expressed intentions, 1,419 applications for international protection were finally lodged. The procedure for 15,338 applications for international protection was suspended (regardless of the year of submission of the application), which is in line with the trend in the past few years.[3]

In 2024, a total of 359 international protection applications were decided in meritum. In total, 279 cases were rejected. International protection was granted to 80 persons: 71 refugee status (of whom 19 men, 20 boys, 13 women and 19 girls);  9 subsidiary protection (of whom 3 men, 3 boys, 2 women, and 1 girl).[4]

Note 1: statistics on applicants and pending applications concern people, including children and dependents. The rest of the columns concern number of decisions as that is usually the (only) data available.

Note 2: “Applicants in year” refers to the total number of applicants, and not only to first-time applicants.

Note 3:  Croatian asylum legislation does not foresee the possibility for asylum authorities to issue humanitarian protection decisions. However, the Law on Foreigners allows for the recognition of temporary stay on humanitarian grounds.

Gender/age breakdown of the total number of applicants: 2024

Source: Ministry of Interior, Statistics 2024, available at: https://mup.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/statistika/2025/1/Statistika%20medjunarodna%20zastita%202024.xlsx;

Note: The gender breakdown (Men/Women) applies to all applicants, not only adults.

First instance and appeal decision rates: 2024

It should be noted that, during the same year, the first instance and appeal authorities handle different caseloads. Thus, the decisions below do not concern the same applicants.

Source: Ministry of Interior, Statistics 2024, available at: https://mup.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/statistika/2025/1/Statistika%20medjunarodna%20zastita%202024.xlsx; Administrative Court of Zagreb, 17 January 2025; Administrative Court of Osijek, 27, January 2025; Administrative Court of Rijeka, 31 January 2025; Administrative Court of Split, 31 January 2025.

[1]           Ministry of Interior, Statistics 2024, available at: https://mup.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/statistika/2025/1/Statistika%20medjunarodna%20zastita%202024.xlsx.

[2]           In terms of Croatian legislation making an application is called “expressing the intention to submit/lodge application for international protection“.

[3]           Ombudswoman: Report of the Ombudswoman for 2024, page 268, available at: https://www.ombudsman.hr/hr/download/izvje-e-pu-ke-pravobraniteljice-za-2024-godinu/?wpdmdl=20339&refresh=67efca50785f31743768144/.

[4]           Croatian Law Centre: The Croatian Asylum System in 2024- National Report; available at: https://www.hpc.hr/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/National-Asylum-Report-2024_CLC.pdf.

[5]        The table includes the total number of decisions issued by administrative courts in 2024, as well as only selected types of decisions (i.e., judgments granting international protection and judgments on rejection in meritum). As a result, there is a discrepancy between the total number of decisions and the number of decisions broken down in this table.