Karlovac: population and statistics
Karlovac has a population of 47,773 (2025) across 95.3 km², or 501 people per km². It ranks 9 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −9.5% between 2015 and 2025.
- 47,773 residents
- 95.3 km²
- 501 people/km²
Karlovac in numbers
Key points
Among the 22 municipalities in Karlovac County, Karlovac ranks No. 1 by population.
Population of Karlovac over time
Karlovac had 52,803 residents in 2015 and 47,773 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 49,799 |
| 2021 | 49,034 |
| 2022 | 48,643 |
| 2023 | 48,466 |
| 2024 | 48,207 |
| 2025 | 47,773 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Karlovac County for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Karlovac County for “Number of dwellings”.
- “Number of dwellings”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Primary school pupils”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average annual net pay per employee”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 13,347 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.5 times the national average.
All indicators for Karlovac
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 | Karlovac | Karlovac County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 46.2 years | 46.2 | 44.8 | ranked 164 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 24.8% | 24.4% | 22.9% | ranked 179 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 12.6% | 12.9% | 13.7% | ranked 388 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −7.3 ‰ | −8.3 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 289 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | −1.1 ‰ | −0.9 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 346 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | −0.6 ‰ | 0.3 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 429 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Karlovac | Karlovac County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 26,390 | 69,553 | 2,390,500 | ranked 9 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 534 | 618 | 604 | ranked 353 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 4.0% | 8.4% | 7.9% | ranked 352 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 22.0% | 27.1% | 25.9% | ranked 369 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 85.8 m² | 91.5 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 486 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 18 | 115 | 16,654 | ranked 130 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 7.7 | 6.3 | 7.2 | ranked 260 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 100.0% | 98.9% | 99.0% | ranked 1 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Karlovac | Karlovac County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 12.4% | 6.9% | 12.8% | ranked 276 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 39.8% | 28.7% | 31.3% | ranked 210 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Karlovac | Karlovac County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 2.4% | 4.6% | 6.0% | ranked 445 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 23.1% | 24.3% | 19.5% | ranked 196 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 6.6% | 8.5% | 9.0% | ranked 423 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 10,405 € | 9,306 € | 7,821 € | ranked 34 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 14,307 € | 13,111 € | 11,010 € | ranked 6 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 7,152 € | 6,700 € | 6,391 € | ranked 80 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 486 | 463 | 456 | ranked 188 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 357 | 358 | 302 | ranked 119 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Karlovac | Karlovac County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 5.0% | 5.5% | 4.6% | ranked 249 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 48.2% | 46.1% | 45.2% | ranked 182 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 18,933 | 29,920 | 1,262,193 | ranked 10 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 393 | 273 | 150 | ranked 43 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 25.0% | 40.5% | 55.5% | ranked 486 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Karlovac | Karlovac County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 70,164 | – | 9,381 | ranked 128 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 1.4 | 6.0 | 1.6 | ranked 222 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 5.6% | 6.9% | 6.5% | ranked 336 of 545 |
Society
| Indicator | Karlovac | Karlovac County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.51 | 2.61 | 2.75 | ranked 414 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Karlovac | Karlovac County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 13 | 32 | 1,794 | ranked 19 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 1,666 | 3,511 | 158,685 | ranked 14 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 35 | 32 | 35 | ranked 265 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 16 | 62 | 1,925 | ranked 9 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 3,496 | 7,610 | 291,355 | ranked 9 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 73 | 70 | 72 | ranked 250 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 9.6 | 8.2 | 6.3 | ranked 49 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 1,873 | 3,466 | 139,372 | ranked 7 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 39 | 32 | 28 | ranked 57 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 25.0% | 18.9% | 13.0% | ranked 45 of 545 |
Karlovac: 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
−7.3 ‰ in 2024, compared with −8.6 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
−1.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with −4.2 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
−0.6 ‰ in 2025, compared with −5.0 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
18 in 2024, compared with 45 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
10,405 € in 2025, compared with 6,702 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
14,307 € in 2025, compared with 9,502 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
7,152 € in 2025, compared with 4,898 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
18,933 in 2024, compared with 17,605 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
40,327 in 2021, compared with 29,203 in 2012
Where is Karlovac?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Duga Resa6.9 km · 10,008
- Netretić11 km · 2,330
- Draganić12 km · 2,619
- Barilović13 km · 2,604
- Ozalj15 km · 5,758
- Krašić18 km · 2,194
- Krnjak18 km · 1,244
- Ribnik18 km · 315
All municipalities in Karlovac County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Karlovac?
Karlovac has 47,773 residents (2025), ranking 9 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Karlovac?
Karlovac covers 95.3 km², with a density of 501 people per km².
Is the population of Karlovac growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Karlovac went from 52,803 to 47,773, a change of −9.5%.
Where is Karlovac?
Karlovac is in Karlovac County. Latitude 45.493, longitude 15.556.
Number of dwellings: what is the figure for Karlovac?
In Karlovac, “Number of dwellings” stands at 26,390 (2021), ranking 9 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 1,867.
Primary school pupils: what is the figure for Karlovac?
In Karlovac, “Primary school pupils” stands at 3,496 (2025/2026), ranking 9 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 186.
Which municipalities border Karlovac?
The nearest to Karlovac are Duga Resa (6.9 km), Netretić (11 km), Draganić (12 km), Barilović (13 km), Ozalj (15 km).