Vrhovine: population and statistics
Vrhovine has a population of 865 (2025) across 29.8 km², or 29.0 people per km². It ranks 518 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −13.5% between 2015 and 2025.
- 865 residents
- 29.8 km²
- 29 people/km²
Vrhovine in numbers
Key points
Among the 12 municipalities in Lika-Senj County, Vrhovine ranks No. 11 by population.
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents: 42.8 ‰ in Vrhovine, compared with an average of 16.2 ‰ in Lika-Senj County and 4.9 ‰ nationally.
Employed share of residents aged 15 and over: 27.4% in Vrhovine, compared with an average of 43.8% in Lika-Senj County and 49.1% nationally.
Population of Vrhovine over time
Vrhovine had 1,000 residents in 2015 and 865 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 648 |
| 2021 | 643 |
| 2022 | 680 |
| 2023 | 776 |
| 2024 | 846 |
| 2025 | 865 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Lika-Senj County for “Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents”.
- Number 1 in Lika-Senj County for “Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents”.
- “Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Employed share of residents aged 15 and over”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 4,174 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.9 times lower than the national average.
All indicators for Vrhovine
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 | Vrhovine | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 53.3 years | 46.7 | 44.8 | ranked 12 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 38.7% | 26.2% | 22.9% | ranked 12 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 10.0% | 12.6% | 13.7% | ranked 516 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −13.0 ‰ | −10.1 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 461 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 31.2 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 25 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 42.8 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 3 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Vrhovine | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 843 | 51,907 | 2,390,500 | ranked 463 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 1,291 | 1,254 | 604 | ranked 64 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 2.0% | 13.5% | 7.9% | ranked 424 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 59.4% | 38.7% | 25.9% | ranked 8 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 90.3 m² | 89.0 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 447 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 1 | 265 | 16,654 | ranked 372 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 4.7 | 23.0 | 7.2 | ranked 365 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 98.1% | 98.6% | 99.0% | ranked 346 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Vrhovine | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 17.9% | 4.7% | 12.8% | ranked 241 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 4.5% | 21.0% | 31.3% | ranked 530 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Vrhovine | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 20.5% | 10.5% | 6.0% | ranked 64 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 9.3% | 12.5% | 19.5% | ranked 487 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 8.7% | 7.8% | 9.0% | ranked 287 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 4,886 € | 8,472 € | 7,821 € | ranked 541 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 8,993 € | 11,318 € | 11,010 € | ranked 513 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 4,036 € | 6,226 € | 6,391 € | ranked 534 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 268 | 489 | 456 | ranked 543 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 471 | 371 | 302 | ranked 31 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Vrhovine | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 9.6% | 4.8% | 4.6% | ranked 82 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 27.4% | 43.8% | 45.2% | ranked 541 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 75 | 11,997 | 1,262,193 | ranked 505 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 89 | 278 | 150 | ranked 418 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 35.4% | 21.5% | 55.5% | ranked 432 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Vrhovine | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 16,454 | – | 9,381 | ranked 187 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 23.6 | 74.2 | 1.6 | ranked 132 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 | Vrhovine | Lika-Senj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.08 | 2.43 | 2.75 | ranked 540 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Vrhovine | 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) | 66 | 1,502 | 158,685 | ranked 324 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 76 | 34 | 35 | ranked 7 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 1 | 42 | 1,925 | ranked 351 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 40 | 3,010 | 291,355 | ranked 510 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 46 | 69 | 72 | ranked 478 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 2.1 | 5.6 | 6.3 | ranked 519 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 9 | 1,249 | 139,372 | ranked 529 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 10 | 29 | 28 | ranked 524 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 9.4% | 17.5% | 13.0% | ranked 405 of 545 |
Vrhovine: 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
−13.0 ‰ in 2024, compared with −26.5 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
31.2 ‰ in 2025, compared with −20.0 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
42.8 ‰ in 2025, compared with −17.0 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
1 in 2024, compared with 5 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
4,886 € in 2025, compared with 3,568 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
8,993 € in 2025, compared with 5,856 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
4,036 € in 2025, compared with 2,791 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
75 in 2024, compared with 117 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
9,048 in 2021, compared with 266 in 2013
Where is Vrhovine?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Otočac14 km · 8,026
- Saborsko15 km · 410
- Plitvička Jezera16 km · 4,236
- Rakovica26 km · 2,426
- Plaški26 km · 1,542
- Brinje28 km · 2,303
- Perušić31 km · 1,929
- Slunj32 km · 4,029
All municipalities in Lika-Senj County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Vrhovine?
Vrhovine has 865 residents (2025), ranking 518 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Vrhovine?
Vrhovine covers 29.8 km², with a density of 29 people per km².
Is the population of Vrhovine growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Vrhovine went from 1,000 to 865, a change of −13.5%.
Where is Vrhovine?
Vrhovine is in Lika-Senj County. Latitude 44.852, longitude 15.419.
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents: what is the figure for Vrhovine?
In Vrhovine, “Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents” stands at 42.8 ‰ (2025), ranking 3 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 3.7 ‰.
Employed share of residents aged 15 and over: what is the figure for Vrhovine?
In Vrhovine, “Employed share of residents aged 15 and over” stands at 27.4% (2021), ranking 541 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 45.2%.
Which municipalities border Vrhovine?
The nearest to Vrhovine are Otočac (14 km), Saborsko (15 km), Plitvička Jezera (16 km), Rakovica (26 km), Plaški (26 km).