Brinje: population and statistics
Brinje has a population of 2,303 (2025) across 48.8 km², or 47.2 people per km². It ranks 306 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −22.4% between 2015 and 2025.
- 2,303 residents
- 48.8 km²
- 47 people/km²
Brinje in numbers
Key points
Among the 12 municipalities in Lika-Senj County, Brinje ranks No. 6 by population.
Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning: 2.3% in Brinje, compared with an average of 21.0% in Lika-Senj County and 52.8% nationally.
Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education: 7.0% in Brinje, compared with an average of 17.5% in Lika-Senj County and 24.3% nationally.
Population of Brinje over time
Brinje had 2,967 residents in 2015 and 2,303 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,623 |
| 2021 | 2,530 |
| 2022 | 2,471 |
| 2023 | 2,399 |
| 2024 | 2,345 |
| 2025 | 2,303 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Lika-Senj County for “Average floor area of an occupied dwelling”.
- Number 1 in Lika-Senj County for “Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply”.
- “Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education”: lower than in 91% of municipalities.
- “Share of employed residents working outside their municipality”: lower than in 91% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 6,835 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.4 times lower than the national average.
All indicators for Brinje
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 | Brinje | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 48.7 years | 46.7 | 44.8 | ranked 63 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 30.0% | 26.2% | 22.9% | ranked 61 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 11.0% | 12.6% | 13.7% | ranked 484 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −14.9 ‰ | −10.1 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 490 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | −3.5 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 393 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 4.8 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 237 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Brinje | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 2,261 | 51,907 | 2,390,500 | ranked 225 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 882 | 1,254 | 604 | ranked 127 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 13.9% | 13.5% | 7.9% | ranked 211 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 39.8% | 38.7% | 25.9% | ranked 58 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 100.3 m² | 89.0 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 274 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 3 | 265 | 16,654 | ranked 278 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 5.1 | 23.0 | 7.2 | ranked 348 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 96.6% | 98.6% | 99.0% | ranked 431 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Brinje | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 3.7% | 4.7% | 12.8% | ranked 414 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 2.3% | 21.0% | 31.3% | ranked 541 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Brinje | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 12.5% | 10.5% | 6.0% | ranked 140 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 21.1% | 12.5% | 19.5% | ranked 237 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 11.7% | 7.8% | 9.0% | ranked 137 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 6,740 € | 8,472 € | 7,821 € | ranked 447 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 10,790 € | 11,318 € | 11,010 € | ranked 314 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 5,527 € | 6,226 € | 6,391 € | ranked 437 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 389 | 489 | 456 | ranked 454 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 390 | 371 | 302 | ranked 75 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Brinje | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 4.0% | 4.8% | 4.6% | ranked 320 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 36.4% | 43.8% | 45.2% | ranked 491 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 505 | 11,997 | 1,262,193 | ranked 213 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 215 | 278 | 150 | ranked 173 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 23.1% | 21.5% | 55.5% | ranked 494 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Brinje | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 3,205 | – | 9,381 | ranked 256 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 1.2 | 74.2 | 1.6 | ranked 227 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 10.6% | 11.5% | 6.5% | ranked 154 of 545 |
Society
| Indicator | Brinje | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.47 | 2.43 | 2.75 | ranked 436 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Brinje | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 1 | 16 | 1,794 | ranked 189 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 70 | 1,502 | 158,685 | ranked 314 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 30 | 34 | 35 | ranked 342 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 4 | 42 | 1,925 | ranked 117 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 142 | 3,010 | 291,355 | ranked 335 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 62 | 69 | 72 | ranked 388 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 5.1 | 5.6 | 6.3 | ranked 361 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 35 | 1,249 | 139,372 | ranked 414 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 15 | 29 | 28 | ranked 477 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 7.0% | 17.5% | 13.0% | ranked 497 of 545 |
Brinje: 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
−14.9 ‰ in 2024, compared with −13.4 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
−3.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with −14.5 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
4.8 ‰ in 2025, compared with −8.8 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
3 in 2024, compared with 1 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
6,740 € in 2025, compared with 4,205 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
10,790 € in 2025, compared with 7,458 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
5,527 € in 2025, compared with 3,667 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
505 in 2024, compared with 282 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
2,472 in 2021, compared with 2,024 in 2017
Where is Brinje?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Otočac17 km · 8,026
- Senj18 km · 5,631
- Plaški21 km · 1,542
- Josipdol24 km · 3,324
- Saborsko27 km · 410
- Vrhovine28 km · 865
- Baška30 km · 1,791
- Novi Vinodolski30 km · 4,395
All municipalities in Lika-Senj County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Brinje?
Brinje has 2,303 residents (2025), ranking 306 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Brinje?
Brinje covers 48.8 km², with a density of 47 people per km².
Is the population of Brinje growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Brinje went from 2,967 to 2,303, a change of −22.4%.
Where is Brinje?
Brinje is in Lika-Senj County. Latitude 45.000, longitude 15.133.
Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning: what is the figure for Brinje?
In Brinje, “Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning” stands at 2.3% (2021), ranking 541 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 31.3%.
Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education: what is the figure for Brinje?
In Brinje, “Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education” stands at 7.0% (2021), ranking 497 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 13.0%.
Which municipalities border Brinje?
The nearest to Brinje are Otočac (17 km), Senj (18 km), Plaški (21 km), Josipdol (24 km), Saborsko (27 km).