Croatia
Hrvatska
Waiting for the first voice
تا مرد سخن نگفته باشد / عیب و هنرش نهفته باشد
Until a man has spoken, his faults and his gifts both stay hidden.
No advice from here yet. Know an elder from this country? Your recording could be the first: 2–3 minutes on a phone.
Did you know
The French word “cravate”, meaning necktie, first appeared in the 17th century to describe the scarves of Croatian mercenaries. (source)
Elders in numbers
- of people are 65 or older
- 23.6%
- people aged 65 or older
- 915.2K
- will be 65 or older in 2050
- 30.7%
- is how long people live after 60, on average
- 21.9 years
- of people 65+ live alone
- 23%
- women 28.2%, men 16%
- of people 65+ live in collective quarters: care homes, hospitals, hostels and the like
- 2.8%
Sources: World Bank, 2025; World Bank projection for 2050; WHO, 2023; UN, 2021; UN, 2011 census
Languages
13 languages, 3 of them endangered
- IstriotSeverely endangered
- Istro-RomanianDefinitely endangered
- VenetianVulnerable
- Balkan Romani
- Carpathian Romani
- Croatian Sign Language
- Hungarian
- Italian
- Judaeo-Spanish
- Kajkavian
- Serbisk
- Slovene
Show all 13
- Vlax Romani
Languages and their status: Glottolog v5.3, CC BY 4.0. Names: Wikidata.
UNESCO intangible heritage
- Community safeguarding and documenting of the 'Lastovo Poklad' carnival custom2025
- Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques2024
- Transhumance, the seasonal droving of livestock2023
- Festivity of Saint Tryphon and the Kolo (chain dance) of Saint Tryphon, traditions of Croats from Boka Kotorska (Bay of Kotor) who live in the Republic of Croatia2022
- Tocatì, a shared programme for the safeguarding of traditional games and sports2022
- Lipizzan horse breeding traditions2022
- Falconry, a living human heritage2021
- Međimurska popevka, a folksong from Međimurje2018
Show all 23
- Community project of safeguarding the living culture of Rovinj/Rovigno: the Batana Ecomuseum2016
- Mediterranean diet2013
- Klapa multipart singing of Dalmatia, southern Croatia2012
- Nijemo Kolo, silent circle dance of the Dalmatian hinterland2011
- Bećarac singing and playing from Eastern Croatia2011
- Sinjska Alka, a knights’ tournament in Sinj2010
- Gingerbread craft from Northern Croatia2010
- Ojkanje singing2010
- Two-part singing and playing in the Istrian scale2009
- Lacemaking in Croatia2009
- Annual carnival bell ringers’ pageant from the Kastav area2009
- Procession Za Krizen (‘following the cross’) on the island of Hvar2009
- Spring procession of Ljelje/Kraljice (queens) from Gorjani2009
- Traditional manufacturing of children’s wooden toys in Hrvatsko Zagorje2009
- Festivity of Saint Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik2009
List and years: ich.unesco.org
Know an elder from this country?
Record their advice in their native language: 2–3 minutes on a phone.
Record your elder