Ploče: population and statistics
Ploče has a population of 7,806 (2025) across 12.3 km², or 635 people per km². It ranks 84 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −15.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 7,806 residents
- 12.3 km²
- 635 people/km²
Ploče in numbers
Key points
Among the 22 municipalities in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Ploče ranks No. 5 by population.
Share of employed residents in construction: 2.6% in Ploče, compared with an average of 6.5% in Dubrovnik-Neretva County and 7.7% nationally.
Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning: 81.2% in Ploče, compared with an average of 80.7% in Dubrovnik-Neretva County and 52.8% nationally.
Population of Ploče over time
Ploče had 9,215 residents in 2015 and 7,806 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 8,375 |
| 2021 | 8,162 |
| 2022 | 7,997 |
| 2023 | 7,919 |
| 2024 | 7,867 |
| 2025 | 7,806 |
Did you know?
- “Share of employed residents in construction”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- “Average nights per arrival”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 1,723 football pitches.
- Its population density is 5.6 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Gradac, 9.8 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Metković (15,460 residents), 17 km away.
All indicators for Ploče
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Ploče | Dubrovnik-Neretva County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 44.9 years | 43.8 | 44.8 | ranked 263 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 23.6% | 22.5% | 22.9% | ranked 231 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 14.1% | 15.4% | 13.7% | ranked 218 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −4.8 ‰ | −2.4 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 177 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | −4.5 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 408 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 2.0 ‰ | 11.4 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 342 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Ploče | Dubrovnik-Neretva County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 4,322 | 73,746 | 2,390,500 | ranked 113 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 526 | 637 | 604 | ranked 364 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 5.1% | 6.8% | 7.9% | ranked 326 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 23.3% | 23.3% | 25.9% | ranked 337 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 82.3 m² | 89.6 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 508 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 5 | 402 | 16,654 | ranked 239 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 3.6 | 16.7 | 7.2 | ranked 416 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 99.8% | 99.9% | 99.0% | ranked 131 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Ploče | Dubrovnik-Neretva County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 10.0% | 8.1% | 12.8% | ranked 302 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 81.2% | 80.7% | 31.3% | ranked 27 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Ploče | Dubrovnik-Neretva County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 4.4% | 3.4% | 6.0% | ranked 338 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 9.8% | 7.4% | 19.5% | ranked 476 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 2.6% | 6.5% | 9.0% | ranked 538 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 8,807 € | 9,402 € | 7,821 € | ranked 155 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 11,722 € | 10,865 € | 11,010 € | ranked 171 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 7,597 € | 7,310 € | 6,391 € | ranked 21 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 459 | 555 | 456 | ranked 266 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 363 | 285 | 302 | ranked 108 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Ploče | Dubrovnik-Neretva County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 7.5% | 5.0% | 4.6% | ranked 146 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 45.1% | 50.2% | 45.2% | ranked 275 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 2,409 | 35,314 | 1,262,193 | ranked 76 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 306 | 303 | 150 | ranked 81 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 27.2% | 23.2% | 55.5% | ranked 473 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Ploče | Dubrovnik-Neretva County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 31,233 | – | 9,381 | ranked 166 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 3.7 | 74.0 | 1.6 | ranked 175 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 12.6% | 18.7% | 6.5% | ranked 124 of 545 | |
| Tourist nights in commercial accommodation (2025) | 42,279 | – | 303,422 | ranked 125 of 143 | |
| Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation (2025) | 12,120 | – | 45,455 | ranked 114 of 143 | |
| Tourist nights per resident (2025) | 5.4 | 84.7 | 87.2 | ranked 133 of 143 | |
| Average nights per arrival (2025) | 3.5 | 3.9 | 6.3 | ranked 134 of 143 | |
| Share of nights by foreign tourists (2025) | 89.5% | 92.6% | 92.2% | ranked 95 of 143 | |
| Beds in commercial accommodation (2025) | 1,090 | – | 4,527 | ranked 122 of 146 | |
| Beds per 1,000 residents (2025) | 140 | 928 | 1,506 | ranked 135 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in hotels and similar accommodation (2025) | 7.3% | 22.5% | 6.6% | ranked 67 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in campsites (2025) | 9.6% | 8.9% | 7.1% | ranked 63 of 146 |
Society
| Indicator | Ploče | Dubrovnik-Neretva County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.70 | 2.83 | 2.75 | ranked 302 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Ploče | Dubrovnik-Neretva County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 4 | 58 | 1,794 | ranked 60 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 323 | 4,954 | 158,685 | ranked 80 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 41 | 42 | 35 | ranked 159 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 4 | 63 | 1,925 | ranked 117 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 616 | 9,294 | 291,355 | ranked 76 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 79 | 79 | 72 | ranked 160 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 6.8 | 8.3 | 6.3 | ranked 229 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 253 | 4,280 | 139,372 | ranked 82 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 32 | 37 | 28 | ranked 157 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 22.9% | 26.9% | 13.0% | ranked 71 of 545 |
Ploče: indicators over time
Indicators available for several years. Hover over or tap a chart to read the value for each year.
Natural change per 1,000 residents
−4.8 ‰ in 2024, compared with −3.9 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
−4.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with −11.3 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
2.0 ‰ in 2025, compared with −3.3 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
5 in 2024, compared with 10 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
8,807 € in 2025, compared with 5,618 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
11,722 € in 2025, compared with 7,941 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
7,597 € in 2025, compared with 5,100 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
2,409 in 2024, compared with 2,683 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
25,967 in 2021, compared with 7,313 in 2012
Tourist nights in commercial accommodation
42,279 in 2025, compared with 23,772 in 2018
Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation
12,120 in 2025, compared with 5,512 in 2018
Beds in commercial accommodation
1,090 in 2025, compared with 842 in 2018
Where is Ploče?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Gradac9.8 km · 2,425
- Opuzen11 km · 2,870
- Pojezerje12 km · 884
- Slivno12 km · 1,822
- Kula Norinska14 km · 1,340
- Trpanj14 km · 661
- Janjina14 km · 566
- Zažablje16 km · 473
All municipalities in Dubrovnik-Neretva County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Ploče?
Ploče has 7,806 residents (2025), ranking 84 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Ploče?
Ploče covers 12.3 km², with a density of 635 people per km².
Is the population of Ploče growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Ploče went from 9,215 to 7,806, a change of −15.3%.
Where is Ploče?
Ploče is in Dubrovnik-Neretva County. Latitude 43.053, longitude 17.437.
Share of employed residents in construction: what is the figure for Ploče?
In Ploče, “Share of employed residents in construction” stands at 2.6% (2021), ranking 538 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 9.0%.
Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning: what is the figure for Ploče?
In Ploče, “Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning” stands at 81.2% (2021), ranking 27 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 31.3%.
Which municipalities border Ploče?
The nearest to Ploče are Gradac (9.8 km), Opuzen (11 km), Pojezerje (12 km), Slivno (12 km), Kula Norinska (14 km).