The share of women in the ownership structure of businesses in Croatia in 2020 was 31.7%, shows an analysis by the Financial Agency (FINA), released on the occasion of Women's Entrepreneurship Day, November 19.

The analysis shows that in 2020 women were the sole owners of 28,759 businesses, a share of 22%, and that they co-owned with men and/or legal entities another 12,659 businesses, which puts the share of women’s entrepreneurship in the total number of businesses at 31.7%.

The share of businesses founded exclusively by women ranged from 18% in 2011 to 22% in 2020, FINA says.

However, when the number of businesses with a mixed ownership structure is added to the number of businesses owned exclusively by women, the share of women’s entrepreneurship is even higher, and in the period from 2011 to 2020 it ranged from 28.8% in 2015 to 33.1% in 2016.

“In 2020, the share of women’s entrepreneurship in the total number of businesses (women entrepreneurs and mixed business founders) was 31.7%, even though according to estimates by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics in mid-2020 Croatia had a population of 4,047,000, of which 1,967,700 were men (48.6%) and 2,080,000 were women (51.4%),” the analysis says.

In 2020, of a total of 130,546 businesses, 59.6% were owned exclusively by men, 6.7% were owned by legal entities, 9.7% had a mixed ownership structure while the ownership structure of 2% or 2,639 businesses could not be determined.

Bjelovar-Bilogora County has largest share of businesses owned by women

Broken down by county, Bjelovar-Bilogora County had the largest share of businesses owned exclusively by women, 24.2%, or 505 out of 2,067 businesses, while 1,257 businesses or 60.8% were owned by men.

The share of businesses owned exclusively by women was lowest in Brod-Posavina County, 19.1%, or 365 of a total of 1,915 businesses, while 1,233 businesses or 64.4% were owned by men.

Nominally, the largest number of businesses owned exclusively by women was registered in the City of Zagreb, 10,228, a share of 23.1%, FINA says.

Revenue highest in retail sector

The largest share of businesses owned by women were businesses categorised as Other services.

Nominally, women were most represented in Professional, scientific and technical activities – of 20,915 businesses in that area, 30.9% were owned by women, and in another 2,384 businesses women shared ownership with men and/or legal entities.

Women entrepreneurs in the retail sector earned the highest total revenue, in the amount of HRK 14.6 billion, followed by women entrepreneurs in the manufacturing industry, with revenue amounting to HRK 5.3 billion, and women entrepreneurs in the construction sector, with HRK 4 billion.

The highest revenue per employee, of HRK 1.1 million, was earned by women entrepreneurs in the retail sector, and the highest profit per employee, of HRK 78,500, was earned by women entrepreneurs in Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply.

In 2020 the number of businesses owned by women was again the highest in the services sector, while in Other activities, mostly related to manufacturing, men prevailed as business owners.

The analysis shows that in terms of gender criteria, the situation is changing slowly despite incentives for women’s entrepreneurship, medium-term development strategies and efforts to increase the share of women in the business sector.