The real sector of the Croatian economy saw a nominal increase in activity in 2019 compared with 2018, with turnover growing by 6.2%, added value by 9.5% and the number of employees by 4.6%, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (DZS).

The DZS has published basic annual structural and business indicators for the non-financial sector including the manufacturing industry, construction, trade and non-financial services.

A total of 157,154 businesses, employing 1.08 million people, operated in the real sector in 2019, generating HRK 739.1 billion in total sales revenue and HRK 202.9 billion in added value.

According to the DZS, the majority of real-sector businesses, 80,925 or 51.5%, operated in the non-financial services sector, while 34,719 businesses, or 22.1%, operated in the trade sector.

Slightly more than two-thirds of employees worked in two sectors – 404,161 or 37.4% in non-financial services and 318,887 or 29.5% in manufacturing.

Trade companies had the largest share in total turnover, generating HRK 289.2 billion in sales revenue or 39.1%. They were followed by manufacturing companies (HRK 224.5 billion or 30.4%), non-financial services companies (HRK 166.3 billion or 22.5%), and construction companies (HRK 59.1 billion or 7.9%).

Last year real-sector companies generated HRK 202.9 billion in added value, an increase of 9.5% on 2018. Non-financial services companies generated HRK 76.6 billion (37.7%), manufacturing companies HRK 65.9 billion (32.5%), trade companies HRK 44.4 billion (21.8%), and construction companies HRK 16 billion (7.9%).

(€1 = HRK 7.549)