Senj: population and statistics
Senj has a population of 5,631 (2025) across 3.2 km², or 1,760 people per km². It ranks 114 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −15.8% between 2015 and 2025.
- 5,631 residents
- 3.2 km²
- 1,760 people/km²
Senj in numbers
Key points
Among the 12 municipalities in Lika-Senj County, Senj ranks No. 3 by population.
Average floor area of an occupied dwelling: 79.1 m² in Senj, compared with an average of 89.0 m² in Lika-Senj County and 92.6 m² nationally.
Share of children aged 0 to 14: 10.3% in Senj, compared with an average of 12.6% in Lika-Senj County and 14.3% nationally.
Population of Senj over time
Senj had 6,684 residents in 2015 and 5,631 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 6,044 |
| 2021 | 5,943 |
| 2022 | 5,778 |
| 2023 | 5,722 |
| 2024 | 5,668 |
| 2025 | 5,631 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Lika-Senj County for “Population density”.
- Number 1 in Lika-Senj County for “Average annual net pension per pensioner”.
- “Average floor area of an occupied dwelling”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Share of children aged 0 to 14”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- “Average household size in occupied dwellings”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 448 football pitches.
- Its population density is 15.6 times the national average.
All indicators for Senj
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 | Senj | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 49.3 years | 46.7 | 44.8 | ranked 46 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 29.6% | 26.2% | 22.9% | ranked 67 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 10.3% | 12.6% | 13.7% | ranked 507 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −17.6 ‰ | −10.1 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 512 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 7.5 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 201 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 7.6 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 159 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Senj | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 7,965 | 51,907 | 2,390,500 | ranked 49 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 1,334 | 1,254 | 604 | ranked 58 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 13.6% | 13.5% | 7.9% | ranked 214 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 47.7% | 38.7% | 25.9% | ranked 28 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 79.1 m² | 89.0 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 530 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 23 | 265 | 16,654 | ranked 115 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 21.9 | 23.0 | 7.2 | ranked 109 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 99.4% | 98.6% | 99.0% | ranked 210 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Senj | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 3.2% | 4.7% | 12.8% | ranked 445 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 60.8% | 21.0% | 31.3% | ranked 133 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Senj | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 8.0% | 10.5% | 6.0% | ranked 225 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 16.4% | 12.5% | 19.5% | ranked 333 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) | 9,248 € | 8,472 € | 7,821 € | ranked 112 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 11,446 € | 11,318 € | 11,010 € | ranked 212 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 6,992 € | 6,226 € | 6,391 € | ranked 115 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 483 | 489 | 456 | ranked 199 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 419 | 371 | 302 | ranked 51 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Senj | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 4.1% | 4.8% | 4.6% | ranked 303 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 43.2% | 43.8% | 45.2% | ranked 337 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 1,149 | 11,997 | 1,262,193 | ranked 131 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 203 | 278 | 150 | ranked 189 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 19.0% | 21.5% | 55.5% | ranked 511 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Senj | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 379,007 | – | 9,381 | ranked 66 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 61.9 | 74.2 | 1.6 | ranked 98 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 14.4% | 11.5% | 6.5% | ranked 110 of 545 | |
| Tourist nights in commercial accommodation (2025) | 367,662 | – | 303,422 | ranked 65 of 143 | |
| Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation (2025) | 98,477 | – | 45,455 | ranked 52 of 143 | |
| Tourist nights per resident (2025) | 65.3 | 224.4 | 87.2 | ranked 90 of 143 | |
| Average nights per arrival (2025) | 3.7 | 5.6 | 6.3 | ranked 132 of 143 | |
| Share of nights by foreign tourists (2025) | 95.1% | 92.5% | 92.2% | ranked 42 of 143 | |
| Beds in commercial accommodation (2025) | 7,326 | – | 4,527 | ranked 57 of 146 | |
| Beds per 1,000 residents (2025) | 1,301 | 3,800 | 1,506 | ranked 80 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in hotels and similar accommodation (2025) | 3.7% | 4.6% | 6.6% | ranked 89 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in campsites (2025) | 9.9% | 22.1% | 7.1% | ranked 61 of 146 |
Society
| Indicator | Senj | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.30 | 2.43 | 2.75 | ranked 510 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Senj | 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) | 188 | 1,502 | 158,685 | ranked 142 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 33 | 34 | 35 | ranked 310 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 4 | 42 | 1,925 | ranked 117 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 319 | 3,010 | 291,355 | ranked 161 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 57 | 69 | 72 | ranked 434 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 5.2 | 5.6 | 6.3 | ranked 354 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 184 | 1,249 | 139,372 | ranked 106 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 33 | 29 | 28 | ranked 139 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 18.6% | 17.5% | 13.0% | ranked 142 of 545 |
Senj: 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
−17.6 ‰ in 2024, compared with −20.6 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
7.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with −16.2 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
7.6 ‰ in 2025, compared with −10.6 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
23 in 2024, compared with 37 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
9,248 € in 2025, compared with 5,790 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
11,446 € in 2025, compared with 7,729 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
6,992 € in 2025, compared with 4,611 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
1,149 in 2024, compared with 1,234 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
296,409 in 2021, compared with 271,756 in 2012
Tourist nights in commercial accommodation
367,662 in 2025, compared with 375,426 in 2018
Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation
98,477 in 2025, compared with 86,733 in 2018
Beds in commercial accommodation
7,326 in 2025, compared with 8,507 in 2018
Where is Senj?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Baška12 km · 1,791
- Novi Vinodolski18 km · 4,395
- Brinje18 km · 2,303
- Vrbnik20 km · 1,195
- Punat21 km · 1,910
- Vinodol22 km · 3,278
- Lopar22 km · 1,105
- Krk26 km · 7,472
All municipalities in Lika-Senj County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Senj?
Senj has 5,631 residents (2025), ranking 114 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Senj?
Senj covers 3.2 km², with a density of 1,760 people per km².
Is the population of Senj growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Senj went from 6,684 to 5,631, a change of −15.8%.
Where is Senj?
Senj is in Lika-Senj County. Latitude 44.990, longitude 14.901.
Average floor area of an occupied dwelling: what is the figure for Senj?
In Senj, “Average floor area of an occupied dwelling” stands at 79.1 m² (2021), ranking 530 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 100.4 m².
Share of children aged 0 to 14: what is the figure for Senj?
In Senj, “Share of children aged 0 to 14” stands at 10.3% (2021), ranking 507 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 13.7%.
Which municipalities border Senj?
The nearest to Senj are Baška (12 km), Novi Vinodolski (18 km), Brinje (18 km), Vrbnik (20 km), Punat (21 km).