All modes of transport in Croatia in 2021 saw an 18.8% increase in the number of passengers compared to 2020, or close to 58 million passengers, while the quantity of goods transported was 128 million tonnes, an increase of 3.7%, show data from the national statistical office.

The data show that in 2021 the transport sector saw a partial recovery after a significant drop in 2020, caused by the coronavirus pandemic and travel restrictions. Compared to 2019, the number of passengers transported in 2021 was 31% lower.

Most passengers, goods transported by road

The number of passengers was the highest in road transport, with domestic bus operators having transported 31 million passengers, or 18.5% more than in 2020. Most of them, 29.3 million, were transported by operators operating within the country, 14.4% more than in 2020, while operators operating international lines transported 1.6 million passengers, an increase of as much as 243.6%.

A total of 85 million tonnes of commodities were transported by road in 2021, a share of 66% in total freight transport and 5.2% more than in 2020. Most of the commodities, 69.3 million tonnes, were transported within the country.

Rail sees larger increase in number of passengers, smaller increase in commodity transport

Rail transport was second in terms of the number of passengers transported in 2021, with 13.5 million passengers, an increase of 3.2% from 2020. Most of the passengers, 13.3 million, an increase of 3%, travelled by rail within the country, while 199,000 were transported in international rail transport, an increase of 41.3%.

The rail transport of goods rose only mildly, by 1.2% to 15.2 million tonnes. A large portion of commodities transported by rail in Croatia in 2021 was in transit, 4.7 million tonnes  or 1.4% less than in 2020.

Sea, coastal transport sees 40% increase in number of passengers

Sea and coastal transport ranks third in terms of passenger transport, with 12.3 million passengers or 40% more compared to 2020. Most of those passengers, 12.2 million or 40% more, travelled within the country while 60,000 travelled using international routes, an increase of 128%.

Most of the passengers travelling by ship, close to 10 million, used the ferry service, which is an increase of 37.2% from 2020.

As for the transport of commodities, sea and coastal freight transport ranks second, after road transport, with close to 18 million tonnes of commodities transported, a 2.4% increase from 2020. Most of the freight transport was international transport, with around 17.1 million tonnes, an increase of 3%.

Air transport sees more passengers, less freight

Domestic airlines in 2021 transported close to 1.1 million passengers, an increase of 57.2% from 2020. Most of the passengers, 817,000, were transported on international routes and 244,000 travelled by plane within the country.

As for freight transport, domestic operators transported 1,319 tonnes, 9.7% less than in 2020. Of that amount, slightly more than 1,200 tonnes were transported on international routes and 81 tonnes were transported within the country, which are decreases of 10% and 4.7% respectively from 2020.

A decline in freight transport was also reported in inland navigation, of 26.5% to 697,000 tonnes (transit not included), and in pipeline transport, of 1% to 9.2 million tonnes.