March the 28th, 2023 - As of today, all Croatian fuel prices are lower than they were following a government session held over the phone yesterday. The new Croatian fuel prices, before they inevitably go back up again, are published below.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a telephone government session was held yesterday at which the Decree on determining the highest retail prices of oil derivatives was adopted, the Croatian Government reports.

The regime according to which the highest retail prices are calculated according to the formula based on the basic price of fossil fuel in the previous fourteen-day period, with a limited premium of 0.0995 EUR/l (0.75 HRK/l) for diesel and petrol, and 0.0531 EUR /l (0.40 kn/l) for blue diesel, and in the amount of 0.8229 EUR/kg (6.20 kn/kg) propane-butane mixture for bottles, i.e. 0.3716 EUR/kg (2.80 kn/kg) for large containers, will remain valid for a further fourteen days as of today.

The new Croatian fuel prices in effect as of today's date are as follows:

1.39 EUR/l (10.47 HRK/l) for petrol (a reduction of 0.01 EUR/l)
1.34 EUR/l (10.10 HRK/l) for diesel (a reduction of 0.06 EUR/l)
0.84 EUR/l (6.33 HRK/l) for blue diesel (a reduction of 0.06 EUR/l)
1.29 EUR/kg (9.72 HRK/kg) LPG for tanks (a reduction of 0.13 EUR/kg)
1.85 EUR/kg (13.94 HRK/kg) LPG for bottles (a reduction of 0.13 EUR/kg)

If there were no government measures introduced to control Croatian fuel prices and if their retail prices were completely freely formed at the level of premiums of energy entities before the first Regulation, they would amount to:

1.62 EUR/l (12.21 kn/l) for petrol
1.57 EUR/l (11.83 kn/l) for diesel
0.96 EUR/l (7.23 kn/l) for blue diesel
1.53 EUR/kg (11.53 kn/kg) LPG for tanks
2.16 EUR/kg (16.27 HRK/kg) LPG for bottles

For more, make sure to keep up with our dedicated news section.

January 3, 2023 - Euro Croatia is here. It is its third day. And Croatian citizens have started complaining about massive price increases. Social networks are full of various examples of price increases after the introduction of the euro, whether it is for shops, various services such as hair salons, or parking fees.

As Index writes, what most of the complaints have in common is the rounding up. So, for example, if something cost HRK 13, it is possible that someone "rounded" it to two euros, which is significantly more expensive.

A group was opened on Reddit yesterday, where hundreds of people write about price increases and give examples. "Men's haircut at a local hairdresser cost HRK 60. I came a couple of days ago. He said he would round up to 10 euros to make it easier for both of us," wrote one user. "Coffee with milk in the cafe where I've been going all my life jumped from 12 to 15 kunas," wrote another.

Index received photos from shops by users claiming that the same things cost significantly less just two days ago. Index is currently working on verifying those allegations.

>> If you suspect an unjustified increase in the price of a product or service, contact them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Prime minister's meeting yesterday

Yesterday afternoon, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković convened a meeting with competent ministers and inspection authorities.

As the Prime Minister stated in a message published on Twitter, he held a meeting with competent ministers and representatives of the Tax Administration, Customs Administration, and the State Inspectorate related to further activities to protect consumers from unjustified price increases.

"The introduction of the euro is not a reason to increase the prices of goods and services," said Plenković.

Filipović called an urgent meeting. 

At Plenković's meeting with the ministers and the heads of the Tax Administration, Customs Administration and the State Inspectorate, it was agreed that Economy Minister Davor Filipović would invite representatives of retail chains to the meeting.

The meeting, unofficially confirmed to Index by a source close to the government, should be held today.

"The consumer must not be in a worse position than they would have been if the euro had not been introduced."

What is considered an unjustified price increase that caused Plenković to react? Here is what is written on the official government website Euro. hr.

"According to the principle of consumer protection, it follows that the consumer must not be in a less favourable financial position than he would have been if the euro had not been introduced. As in all other situations, in the period of dual pricing, it is necessary to correctly and accurately apply the rules of conversion and rounding, which means that the price must be correctly calculated and stated, i.e. the informative calculation in the currency that was or will be official must accurately reflect the price charged to the consumer and must not be rounded up or down.

The ratio of expressed prices in kuna and euro must correspond to a mathematical operation, i.e., the rules of conversion and rounding by applying a fixed conversion rate in its full numerical amount."

"The mere introduction of the euro must not be and is not a justified reason for increasing product prices."

The page states that this means explicitly that from the beginning of the period of mandatory dual pricing until the day of the introduction of the euro, for the purpose of informing consumers, the price charged in kuna must be recalculated and displayed in euros, with the correct application of the fixed conversion rate and the rules for recalculation and rounding.

The key principle of the introduction of the euro is consumer protection, and the consumer must not be in a financially less favourable position than he would have been if the euro had not been introduced. The mere introduction of the euro must not be and is not a justified reason for increasing product prices," the EURO HR website concludes.

Knežević: People complain the most about coffee price increases

Index asked the president of the Consumer Protection Association, Ana Knežević, what information she had about price rounding and the resulting price increases.

"We have concrete information; people are calling and complaining. The highest price increases are around coffee. We received a report that in one place coffee is two kuna more expensive because of this rounding of prices," Knežević told us.

"This happened in all the countries that entered the eurozone; we saw it in Slovenia, Austria, Italy... We warned that Croatia would not be an exception. In the mentioned countries, too, coffee prices changed the most. In our country, we now see that there were price increases in bakeries as well".

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

January the 2nd, 2023 - With all of the celebrations surrounding Schengen and Eurozone accession, something less pleasant for drivers who are likely sick of the ups and downs - Croatian fuel prices are set to rise once again tomorrow.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Croatian Government held a telephone session today during which it passed the Decree on determining the highest retail prices of petroleum derivatives, according to which the highest retail prices are calculated according to the formula according to the base price of fossil fuel in the previous fourteen-day period.

This regards a limited margin of 0.0995 euros (0 .75 kuna)/l for diesel and petrol fuel, and 0.0531 euros (0.40 kuna)/l for blue diesel, 0.8229 euros (6.20 kuna)/kg propane-butane mixture for bottles, or 0 ,03716 euros (2.80 kuna)/kg for large containers. Compared to the previous Croatian fuel prices and their accompanying regime, the margin on diesel and petrol fuel, for energy entities, has been returned to the levels we saw back in June 2022.

This regime and as such the new Croatian fuel prices will be valid for the next fourteen day period.

The new prices will be as follows:

– EUR 1.33 (HRK 10.02)/l for petrol fuel (an increase of EUR 0.05)

– 1.47 EUR (11.08 HRK)/l for diesel fuel (an increase of 0.03 EUR)

– 0.97 EUR (7.31 HRK)/l for blue diesel (an increase 0.01 EUR)

– EUR 1.22 (HRK 9.19)/kg LPG for tanks (a reduction of EUR 0.01)

– 1.78 EUR (13.41 HRK)/kg LPG for bottles (a reduction of 0.01 EUR).

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

December the 7th, 2022 - Ever since the devastating Banovina earthquake which struck right at the very end of December 2020, the ground in that part of the country has kept on moving. It doesn't seem likely to stop anytime soon given the fact that traumatised residents were woken at around 02:00 this morning by yet another earthquake.

Parts of Central Croatia, particularly the wider Sisak-Moslavina County area, still look as if time has stood still since that fateful natural disaster back at the very end of the pandemic-dominated year of 2020. The government talks big and there are many promises of funds being poured into the renovation of the Banovina (or Banija, if you like) area following that event, but the reality is that many families who lost their properties to nature are still living in containers. 

The last thing the residents of this very active part of the country, at least in terms of earthquakes, need, is yet another Banovina earthquake. Although incomparable to the ones which struck in December 2020, the one which woke people with the shaking of the ground and their homes during the early hours of this morning was enough to make memories come flooding back for most people.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the residents of Banovina were awoken by the shaking of the ground at around 02:00 in the morning whrn they felt the Banovina earthquake with an epicentre just eleven kilometres from Petrinja, strike. It was also felt right here in the wider Zagreb area but to a far lesser degree.

"The sound was terrifying. When it started, the house shook for about ten seconds, and then there was more rocking. It hasn't been like this for a long time," one of the residents of Glina, an area heavily damaged by 2020's earthquake, wrote on the EMSC website.

For more, make sure to check out our news section.

December the 5th, 2022 - There are some new rules coming to the Croatian recycling process, as well as a new ban on some of the thinnest plastic bags still available, which are typically used to carry fruit and vegetables before unfortunately often being unceremoniously discarded.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, since this year, the use of light plastic bags has been banned across Croatia because they can't be used more than once, while very light (usually transparent) plastic bags, which we most often use when buying fruit and vegetables, have remained in use. However, due to the excessive use of these bags, which after one-time use often end up being discarded in nature or on the streets, a fee for them will also be introduced in Croatia from next year.

"The price of these bags will be determined by the merchants themselves, and the purpose is to reduce their overall use. They now have the label ''use them sparingly'' on them in an attempt made to influence consumer habits. However, now the bags will have a label on them indicating their cost, so that customers know that they need to pay for them,'' said Sanja Radovic, head of the Sector for Sustainable Waste Management of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development for HRT.

In addition to the above, a new Croatian recycling process is coming. The new regulation will change the labels printed on returnable items such as plastic bottles, which currently amounts to 50 lipa. As of next year, that price will be calculated in cents with Croatia's transition to the euro.

"The new regulation, which will enter into force next year, will then determine the actual amount for the refund in euros (cents). The second thing is that this system is being extended to include other packaging, it still only regards bottles, however, instead of the limit we had now of two decilitres equal to or greater, the lower limit will no longer exist, and the upper limit will be three litres for such packaging for drinks,'' explained Sanja Radovic when discussing the new Croatian recycling rules for 2023.

Another piece of news is that milk, which is sold in tetrapacks, will also receive a label for return compensation/recycling.

"Croatian companies, as we've seen, mostly adapt to the current situation on the market by looking for solutions. What we can see is that they tend to incorporate a greater proportion of recycled materials into their final product(s). On the market at this moment in time, we have a situation where those prices have become higher than the basic raw material,'' said Ana Falak, the director of the Chemical Industry Association from the Croatian Employers' Association (HUP).

These new bans and new Croatian recycling rules will directly affect production cuts and jobs next year.

For more, keep up with our news section.

December the 3rd, 2022 - Croatian pessimism is usually given in somewhat healthy doses, but it seems that it is on the increase according to a new citizens' survey.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Josipa Ban writes, as many as 44.3% of people living here in Croatia believe that their overall quality of life will be worse in the years to come, and more than half of them (more precisely 61.2% of the respondents) stated that they experienced a decline in purchasing power over the past year.

Croatian pessimism is on the rise, they're distrustful and worried, according to the Zero Quadrant survey on citizens' attitudes, beliefs, fears and expectations, conducted by the Val Group agency in collaboration with Ipsos.

This higher dose of Croatian pessimism is also reflected in the expectations for 2023 because, according to the research, as many as 88.8% of consumers are significantly or very worried about further price increases as the country introduces the euro during a period of high inflation. As such, 41% of them will have to spend more, and only one in four respondents will actually work to actively reduce their personal consumption.

As many as three quarters of those surveyed (73.9%) are worried about the crisis unfolding for the domestic economy. In addition, Croats are losing confidence in all sectors, trusting the media the least - with only 13.3% of respondents saying they have much faith in it. The state institutions, trusted by 13.6% of people, fared a little better. In the real sector, however, insurance companies enjoy the least trust (18.1%), and tradespeople the most - 57.7%.

As for healthcare services, people are more satisfied with private healthcare facilities - 46% of them in total. On the other hand, only 26% of citizens are satisfied with public healthcare.

The finding on the impact of price increases on consumer attitudes towards brands is also interesting, and today, the social responsibility of companies and their impact on the environment is less important to them as prices soar. For example, back in pandemic-dominated 2020, as many as 58% of respondents said they bought brands from socially responsible companies. Today, just 45% of them say the same. As far as investments are concerned, as many as 82% of people have singled out investing in knowledge as the most profitable type of investment.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

November the 30th, 2022 - One Pozega resident has caused quite the stir by flying the flag of the former Yugoslavia on his property, resulting in the ruffling of his neighbours' feathers and them contacting the local police.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a Pozega resident (male, 47 years of age) recently displayed and flew the flag of the former Yugoslavia on his own house in the town of Jaksic near Pozega, as reported by the Pozega-Slavonia County police, who found out about this after his neighbours made them aware of it.

The police say that the 47-year-old "insulted the moral feelings of the people of Pozega'' by flying the controversial flag of a now extinguished country that still has people across Croatia and indeed the rest of the immediate region deeply divided.

The 47-year-old Pozega resident will be charged with a misdemeanor under the Law on Offenses against Public Order and Peace.

Republic Day (Dan Republike) was a holiday in the former Yugoslavia that was celebrated on November the 29th each year. It marked the anniversary of the second session of the AVNOJ (Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia/Antfasisticko vijece narodnog oslobodjenja Jugoslavije) on November the 29th, 1943, when representatives of the partisan resistance movement proclaimed the federal structure of Yugoslavia and the constitutional assembly on that same date in 1945.

Republic Day ceased to be celebrated with the dissolution of the fomer Yugoslavia, and celebrating it in Croatia today, at least if giant flags are involved, might just see the police come knocking at your door, as well.

For more on Croatian news, make sure to keep up with our dedicated section.

November the 28th, 2022 - We're now coming very close to the final full month in which the kuna will be the official currency of this country, with the euro set to replace it as of the 1st of January, 2023. Where can you exchange kuna banknotes and coins for euros free of charge?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the country's many banks, Fina and Hrvatska posta (Croatian post) will all play the main role in the kuna exchange process as we head towards Croatian Eurozone accession at the very beginning of next year. Throughout the first twelve months from the day of the introduction of the euro as the country's main currency, it will be possible to exchange kuna coins and banknotes in all banks, Croatian post offices and Fina branches without any charge and with the application of a fixed conversion rate.

In addition to banks, Fina and Croatian post, many shops and other companies will have to be supplied with euro cash in a timely manner in order to be able to carry out cash transactions in the new currency from the day of the introduction of the euro.

After the first twelve months of Croatia using the euro as its official currency expires, the country's banks, Fina branches and Croatian post will all stop providing their free, fixed rate kuna exchange services. After that first year, kuna banknotes and coins will only be able to be exchanged at the Croatian National Bank (CNB/HNB) and that too will continue to be of charge.

According to euro.hr, the Croatian National Bank will exchange kuna banknotes for free permanently, while kuna coins will be able to be exchanged within three years from the date of introduction of the euro, and after that it will not be possible to do so.

For more on upcoming Croatian Eurozone accession and other important news, keep up with our dedicated news section.

November the 18th, 2022 - Novi Vinodolski flooding is causing cause for concern among many, and although the Republic of Croatia, at least in some parts, is no stranger to floods, the sheer level of rainfall which has caused this was unexpected.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, it has been raining fairly heavily and continuously since the early morning hours in parts of the country, and in some locations this has been accompanied by thunder and other stormy weather. A huge amount of precipitation fell on Novi Vinodolski, where some roads were closed, and now Novi Vinodolski flooding is another issue for residents.

In some places, the water is knee-deep.

For more, keep up with our news section.

November the 8th, 2022 - Croatian fuel prices have been altered following a recent government session and the new prices for all types of fuel are actual as of today. We'll provide a list below of what they are and what they would have been without intervention.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, following yesterday's session, the Croatian Government adopted the decree on establishing the highest retail prices of oil derivatives. According to the regulation, the highest prices are determined by a formula with a fourteen-day calculation period implied.

Margins in the aforementioned regulation are limited to 0.65/l kuna for petrol (gasoline) and diesel, 2.80/kg kuna for LPG for tanks, and 6.20/kg kuna for LPG for bottles.

The price of blue diesel is fixed at 8.49/l kuna.

This new set of Croatian fuel prices and this particular regime will be applied for the next fourteen days, the government also announced.

The new Croatian fuel prices (as of today) are as follows:

- 11.58 kuna/l for petrol (gasoline) fuel - (48 lipa more expensive)

- 13.19 kuna/l for diesel fuel (25 lipa cheaper)

- 10.16 kuna/kg for LPG for tanks (5 lipa more expensive)

- 8.49 kuna /l for blue diesel – the price has remained the same as before

- 14.41 kuna/kg for LPG for bottles - 5 lipa more expensive

Without the aforementioned capping and measures, Croatian fuel prices would be the following:

- 13.37 kuna /l for petrol (gasoline) fuel

- 15.13 kuna /l for diesel fuel

- 10.45 kuna /l for blue diesel

- 12.01 kuna /kg for LPG for tanks

- 16.75 kuna /kg for LPG for bottles of 7.5 kg and more.

For more on Croatian news, make sure to keep up with our dedicated section.