Gospić: population and statistics
Gospić has a population of 11,903 (2025) across 967.4 km², or 12.3 people per km². It ranks 48 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −2.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 11,903 residents
- 967.4 km²
- 12 people/km²
Gospić in numbers
Key points
Among the 12 municipalities in Lika-Senj County, Gospić ranks No. 1 by population.
Share of employed residents working outside their municipality: 15.1% in Gospić, compared with an average of 21.5% in Lika-Senj County and 33.9% nationally.
Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning: 4.7% in Gospić, compared with an average of 21.0% in Lika-Senj County and 52.8% nationally.
Population of Gospić over time
Gospić had 12,179 residents in 2015 and 11,903 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 11,610 |
| 2021 | 11,500 |
| 2022 | 11,559 |
| 2023 | 11,669 |
| 2024 | 11,784 |
| 2025 | 11,903 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Lika-Senj County for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Lika-Senj County for “Share of children aged 0 to 14”.
- “Share of employed residents working outside their municipality”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Primary schools”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 135,490 football pitches.
- Its population density is 9.2 times lower than the national average.
All indicators for Gospić
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 | Gospić | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 43.9 years | 46.7 | 44.8 | ranked 372 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 21.4% | 26.2% | 22.9% | ranked 369 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 14.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% | ranked 168 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −5.6 ‰ | −10.1 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 213 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 13.9 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 130 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 12.1 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 97 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Gospić | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 8,261 | 51,907 | 2,390,500 | ranked 44 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 718 | 1,254 | 604 | ranked 191 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 6.7% | 13.5% | 7.9% | ranked 298 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 39.1% | 38.7% | 25.9% | ranked 64 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 87.9 m² | 89.0 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 473 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 43 | 265 | 16,654 | ranked 76 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 8.7 | 23.0 | 7.2 | ranked 236 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 98.8% | 98.6% | 99.0% | ranked 298 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Gospić | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 4.8% | 4.7% | 12.8% | ranked 379 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 4.7% | 21.0% | 31.3% | ranked 528 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Gospić | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 8.3% | 10.5% | 6.0% | ranked 216 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 11.4% | 12.5% | 19.5% | ranked 444 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 8.1% | 7.8% | 9.0% | ranked 327 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 9,378 € | 8,472 € | 7,821 € | ranked 98 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 13,053 € | 11,318 € | 11,010 € | ranked 36 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 6,983 € | 6,226 € | 6,391 € | ranked 117 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 465 | 489 | 456 | ranked 244 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 346 | 371 | 302 | ranked 147 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Gospić | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 4.6% | 4.8% | 4.6% | ranked 271 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 47.9% | 43.8% | 45.2% | ranked 188 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 4,996 | 11,997 | 1,262,193 | ranked 33 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 424 | 278 | 150 | ranked 30 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 15.1% | 21.5% | 55.5% | ranked 527 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Gospić | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 33,211 | – | 9,381 | ranked 164 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 2.8 | 74.2 | 1.6 | ranked 190 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 6.1% | 11.5% | 6.5% | ranked 291 of 545 |
Society
| Indicator | Gospić | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.56 | 2.43 | 2.75 | ranked 396 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Gospić | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 3 | 16 | 1,794 | ranked 79 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 464 | 1,502 | 158,685 | ranked 52 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 39 | 34 | 35 | ranked 190 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 10 | 42 | 1,925 | ranked 23 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 914 | 3,010 | 291,355 | ranked 49 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 77 | 69 | 72 | ranked 188 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 7.1 | 5.6 | 6.3 | ranked 208 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 413 | 1,249 | 139,372 | ranked 49 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 35 | 29 | 28 | ranked 112 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 22.9% | 17.5% | 13.0% | ranked 71 of 545 |
Gospić: 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
−5.6 ‰ in 2024, compared with −5.9 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
13.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with −1.0 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
12.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with −4.8 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
43 in 2024, compared with 87 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
9,378 € in 2025, compared with 5,990 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
13,053 € in 2025, compared with 8,522 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
6,983 € in 2025, compared with 4,760 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
4,996 in 2024, compared with 3,764 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
29,568 in 2021, compared with 24,459 in 2014
Where is Gospić?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Perušić13 km · 1,929
- Karlobag24 km · 823
- Pag28 km · 3,358
- Starigrad28 km · 1,768
- Ražanac29 km · 2,864
- Povljana30 km · 726
- Lovinac31 km · 992
- Udbina31 km · 1,244
All municipalities in Lika-Senj County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Gospić?
Gospić has 11,903 residents (2025), ranking 48 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Gospić?
Gospić covers 967.4 km², with a density of 12 people per km².
Is the population of Gospić growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Gospić went from 12,179 to 11,903, a change of −2.3%.
Where is Gospić?
Gospić is in Lika-Senj County. Latitude 44.547, longitude 15.374.
Share of employed residents working outside their municipality: what is the figure for Gospić?
In Gospić, “Share of employed residents working outside their municipality” stands at 15.1% (2021), ranking 527 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 55.5%.
Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning: what is the figure for Gospić?
In Gospić, “Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning” stands at 4.7% (2021), ranking 528 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 31.3%.
Which municipalities border Gospić?
The nearest to Gospić are Perušić (13 km), Karlobag (24 km), Pag (28 km), Starigrad (28 km), Ražanac (29 km).