Croatia's rents rose 40% in a year, says Eurostat. What it does and doesn't mean for your room

Eurostat data shows rent inflation in Croatia at 40.1% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026, second-highest in the EU. The data provider links it to higher social rents in Zagreb, and August's yearly rise was only 4.3%. New lets are still getting pricier.

Published 2026-10-16 · Source checked 2026-10-12

Euronews reported on October 12 that rents in Croatia rose 40.1% between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026, according to Eurostat. Only Romania was higher, at 43.5%. The EU average was 3%. Overall inflation in Croatia over the same period was 4.8%, so after adjusting for it rents still rose by more than 30%.

Before you panic: this is an index of rents actually paid across the country, not the price of a new room today. The institution that supplies Croatia's data told Euronews the sharp rise was caused by Zagreb's decision to raise rents for social (city-owned) housing. Those are not flats a new worker can usually rent.

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The same report notes that the yearly rise in August was much lower, 4.3%. The reason is that the index jumped sharply between July and August 2025, which distorts the quarterly comparison. So 40% is not a number to quote to your landlord.

There is still real pressure. A Zagreb professor told Euronews that more rental contracts have been registered with the Tax Administration since 2025, bringing better, pricier flats onto the market, and a vacant-flat tax started in 2025. A JLL researcher said competition for scarce rentals is pushing up prices for new tenancies in European cities.

Meanwhile, Croatia's statistics office says the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels group was 11.7% higher in September than a year earlier. That group also includes rent, repairs and utility bills, so costs of living in a rented place are rising.

What to do: ask any landlord for a written, registered contract and keep it, since registered contracts are what the figures are built on. Compare two or three offers before signing, split a flat if you can, and watch the heating bill. See our rent and heating guides for the checklist.

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