Otočac: population and statistics
Otočac has a population of 8,026 (2025) across 21.5 km², or 373 people per km². It ranks 82 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −12.0% between 2015 and 2025.
- 8,026 residents
- 21.5 km²
- 373 people/km²
Otočac in numbers
Key points
Among the 12 municipalities in Lika-Senj County, Otočac ranks No. 2 by population.
Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning: 4.8% in Otočac, compared with an average of 21.0% in Lika-Senj County and 52.8% nationally.
Population of Otočac over time
Otočac had 9,124 residents in 2015 and 8,026 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 8,431 |
| 2021 | 8,251 |
| 2022 | 8,080 |
| 2023 | 7,975 |
| 2024 | 7,900 |
| 2025 | 8,026 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Lika-Senj County for “Average household size in occupied dwellings”.
- Number 1 in Lika-Senj County for “Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents”.
- “Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Primary schools”: higher than in 93% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 3,011 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.3 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Vrhovine, 14.5 km away.
All indicators for Otočac
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 | Otočac | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 45.8 years | 46.7 | 44.8 | ranked 192 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 23.6% | 26.2% | 22.9% | ranked 231 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 12.8% | 12.6% | 13.7% | ranked 373 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −9.1 ‰ | −10.1 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 360 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 21.2 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 60 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 13.5 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 79 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Otočac | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 5,689 | 51,907 | 2,390,500 | ranked 77 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 683 | 1,254 | 604 | ranked 213 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 5.7% | 13.5% | 7.9% | ranked 313 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 37.7% | 38.7% | 25.9% | ranked 75 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 94.6 m² | 89.0 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 375 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 15 | 265 | 16,654 | ranked 145 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 7.1 | 23.0 | 7.2 | ranked 274 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 98.5% | 98.6% | 99.0% | ranked 317 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Otočac | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 6.8% | 4.7% | 12.8% | ranked 344 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 4.8% | 21.0% | 31.3% | ranked 527 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Otočac | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 9.2% | 10.5% | 6.0% | ranked 197 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 15.7% | 12.5% | 19.5% | ranked 343 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 8.0% | 7.8% | 9.0% | ranked 337 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 8,130 € | 8,472 € | 7,821 € | ranked 239 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 11,991 € | 11,318 € | 11,010 € | ranked 142 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 6,358 € | 6,226 € | 6,391 € | ranked 284 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 446 | 489 | 456 | ranked 304 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 353 | 371 | 302 | ranked 125 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Otočac | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 5.4% | 4.8% | 4.6% | ranked 236 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 44.1% | 43.8% | 45.2% | ranked 308 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 1,421 | 11,997 | 1,262,193 | ranked 114 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 180 | 278 | 150 | ranked 223 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 32.7% | 21.5% | 55.5% | ranked 444 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Otočac | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 59,285 | – | 9,381 | ranked 137 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 6.9 | 74.2 | 1.6 | ranked 160 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 9.0% | 11.5% | 6.5% | ranked 177 of 545 |
Society
| Indicator | Otočac | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.57 | 2.43 | 2.75 | ranked 385 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Otočac | 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) | 244 | 1,502 | 158,685 | ranked 109 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 30 | 34 | 35 | ranked 342 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 8 | 42 | 1,925 | ranked 35 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 661 | 3,010 | 291,355 | ranked 71 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 82 | 69 | 72 | ranked 124 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 5.9 | 5.6 | 6.3 | ranked 296 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 247 | 1,249 | 139,372 | ranked 86 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 31 | 29 | 28 | ranked 183 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 15.8% | 17.5% | 13.0% | ranked 200 of 545 |
Otočac: 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
−9.1 ‰ in 2024, compared with −13.2 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
21.2 ‰ in 2025, compared with −6.8 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
13.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with −7.0 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
15 in 2024, compared with 15 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
8,130 € in 2025, compared with 5,315 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
11,991 € in 2025, compared with 8,131 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
6,358 € in 2025, compared with 4,213 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
1,421 in 2024, compared with 1,659 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
28,512 in 2021, compared with 16,542 in 2012
Where is Otočac?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Vrhovine14 km · 865
- Brinje17 km · 2,303
- Saborsko23 km · 410
- Plaški26 km · 1,542
- Perušić29 km · 1,929
- Senj30 km · 5,631
- Plitvička Jezera30 km · 4,236
- Josipdol36 km · 3,324
All municipalities in Lika-Senj County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Otočac?
Otočac has 8,026 residents (2025), ranking 82 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Otočac?
Otočac covers 21.5 km², with a density of 373 people per km².
Is the population of Otočac growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Otočac went from 9,124 to 8,026, a change of −12.0%.
Where is Otočac?
Otočac is in Lika-Senj County. Latitude 44.870, longitude 15.237.
Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning: what is the figure for Otočac?
In Otočac, “Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning” stands at 4.8% (2021), ranking 527 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 31.3%.
Primary schools: what is the figure for Otočac?
In Otočac, “Primary schools” stands at 8 (2025/2026), ranking 35 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 2.
Which municipalities border Otočac?
The nearest to Otočac are Vrhovine (14 km), Brinje (17 km), Saborsko (23 km), Plaški (26 km), Perušić (29 km).