Chemical industry snapshot
Updated with 2025 data
Croatia was the birthplace of two Nobel laureates in chemistry, Lavoslav Ružička and Vladimir Prelog. The Croatian industry has a long tradition and an experienced and well-educated work force.
Chemicals and pharmaceuticals, together with plastics and rubber processing are an integral part of the Croatian economy. Production spans pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, soaps, detergents, polymers, plastics and rubber products, fertilizers, agrochemicals, paints, varnishes and similar coatings, printing ink and fillers, industrial gases, glues and explosives.
The chemical industry is concentrated around larger towns, especially Zagreb, and generated revenues of € 975 million in 2025, 2,3% of the manufacturing industry total. Its 396 companies employed 5,807 people.
Pharmaceuticals employ another 6.150 people across 70 companies that generated revenues of €1,380 million, 6,3% of the manufacturing industry total. Plastics and rubber had €1,391 million of revenues in 2025, 3,1% of the manufacturing industry total, spread across 801 registered companies employing 10,687 workers.
Most companies are SMEs (407) and they mostly serve the domestic market. They are busy restructuring and modernising production processes to meet European standards, reduce operating costs and achieve international quality certification.
Many companies, especially larger ones, are also export-oriented mostly to countries in the same region. In 2025 chemicals export was €1.525 million, pharmaceuticals export was €1.134 million and plastics and rubber export was €744 million.
How are we doing?
Strengths
- Long history and tradition
- Highly skilled work-force
- Advanced technology
- High-quality and price-competitive products
- Excellent geostrategic location within Europe with access to Central Europe, the Mediterranean and three Pan-European corridors
- Seaports and most modern transport infrastructure in the region
- Rising domestic demand
Challenges
- Dependence on imported raw materials
- Uncertainty over fuel supplies
- High energy and logistic costs
- Lack of investment in new and innovative products
- Insufficient investment in marketing
- Inadequate links between companies and research institutions to develop new products and improve technology
- High cost of taxes, levies and utility charges
- Pressure to increase tax take from heavy public sector deficit
- High administrative and regulatory burden
Our contribution to a competitive Europe
Collaborating to innovate
Universities and research institutes are working with industry organisations, under the umbrella of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, to strengthen co-operation between science and our industry sectors to increase competitiveness.
