Municipality · Primorje-Gorski Kotar County
Rijeka: population and statistics
Rijeka has a population of 104,856 (2025) across 43.4 km², or 2,416 people per km². It ranks 3 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −12.6% between 2015 and 2025.
- 104,856 residents
- 43.4 km²
- 2,416 people/km²
Rijeka in numbers
Population
104,856
ranked 3 of 556
−12.6%over 10 years
2015–2025
Population density
2,416people/km²
ranked 17 of 546
Area
43.4km²
ranked 234 of 556
Number of dwellings
63,360
ranked 3 of 545
Kindergartens and preschool institutions
49
ranked 3 of 546
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
50,591
ranked 3 of 546
Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing
0.7%
ranked 534 of 545
Key points
Among the 36 municipalities in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Rijeka ranks No. 1 by population.
Population of Rijeka over time
Population, 2015–2025
Compare two years
Rijeka had 119,999 residents in 2015 and 104,856 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 109,380 |
| 2021 | 107,338 |
| 2022 | 106,579 |
| 2023 | 106,163 |
| 2024 | 105,705 |
| 2025 | 104,856 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County for “Number of dwellings”.
- “Number of dwellings”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Kindergartens and preschool institutions”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Persons in paid employment in legal entities”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 6,078 football pitches.
- Its population density is 21.5 times the national average.
All indicators for Rijeka
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.
RijekaNational medianHover over or tap a bar to see what it shows.
Population
| Indicator | Rijeka | Primorje-Gorski Kotar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 47.3 years | 46.6 | 44.8 | ranked 107 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 26.5% | 25.8% | 22.9% | ranked 123 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 11.5% | 12.5% | 13.7% | ranked 461 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −9.4 ‰ | −7.7 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 378 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 1.1 ‰ | 9.1 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 310 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 5.0 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 226 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Rijeka | Primorje-Gorski Kotar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 63,360 | 208,353 | 2,390,500 | ranked 3 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 587 | 793 | 604 | ranked 295 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 0.7% | 11.0% | 7.9% | ranked 499 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 21.8% | 21.1% | 25.9% | ranked 375 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 70.4 m² | 84.1 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 544 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 162 | 932 | 16,654 | ranked 14 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 10.6 | 17.9 | 7.2 | ranked 196 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 100.0% | 99.9% | 99.0% | ranked 1 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Rijeka | Primorje-Gorski Kotar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 44.0% | 23.2% | 12.8% | ranked 157 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 71.5% | 64.6% | 31.3% | ranked 91 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Rijeka | Primorje-Gorski Kotar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 0.7% | 2.0% | 6.0% | ranked 534 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 13.3% | 14.0% | 19.5% | ranked 402 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 5.7% | 7.2% | 9.0% | ranked 468 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 10,855 € | 10,457 € | 7,821 € | ranked 22 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 13,505 € | 12,574 € | 11,010 € | ranked 17 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 7,763 € | 7,408 € | 6,391 € | ranked 8 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 510 | 526 | 456 | ranked 122 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 349 | 333 | 302 | ranked 138 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Rijeka | Primorje-Gorski Kotar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 4.9% | 4.0% | 4.6% | ranked 255 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 49.9% | 50.8% | 45.2% | ranked 147 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 50,591 | 93,107 | 1,262,193 | ranked 3 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 479 | 350 | 150 | ranked 17 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 22.0% | 38.8% | 55.5% | ranked 498 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Rijeka | Primorje-Gorski Kotar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 407,677 | – | 9,381 | ranked 63 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 3.6 | 59.1 | 1.6 | ranked 176 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 7.4% | 11.3% | 6.5% | ranked 230 of 545 | |
| Tourist nights in commercial accommodation (2025) | 598,120 | – | 303,422 | ranked 50 of 143 | |
| Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation (2025) | 228,666 | – | 45,455 | ranked 22 of 143 | |
| Tourist nights per resident (2025) | 5.7 | 66.3 | 87.2 | ranked 132 of 143 | |
| Average nights per arrival (2025) | 2.6 | 4.9 | 6.3 | ranked 141 of 143 | |
| Share of nights by foreign tourists (2025) | 85.1% | 89.4% | 92.2% | ranked 118 of 143 | |
| Beds in commercial accommodation (2025) | 8,720 | – | 4,527 | ranked 49 of 146 | |
| Beds per 1,000 residents (2025) | 83 | 875 | 1,506 | ranked 139 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in hotels and similar accommodation (2025) | 10.5% | 13.0% | 6.6% | ranked 56 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in campsites (2025) | 0.0% | 22.7% | 7.1% | ranked 112 of 146 |
Society
| Indicator | Rijeka | Primorje-Gorski Kotar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.24 | 2.42 | 2.75 | ranked 525 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Rijeka | Primorje-Gorski Kotar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 49 | 135 | 1,794 | ranked 3 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 3,586 | 9,312 | 158,685 | ranked 4 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 34 | 35 | 35 | ranked 294 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 26 | 99 | 1,925 | ranked 3 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 7,765 | 18,300 | 291,355 | ranked 3 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 74 | 69 | 72 | ranked 231 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 7.7 | 8.2 | 6.3 | ranked 155 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 3,734 | 8,642 | 139,372 | ranked 4 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 36 | 33 | 28 | ranked 91 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 32.8% | 28.0% | 13.0% | ranked 6 of 545 |
Rijeka: 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
+0.6 ‰
−9.4 ‰ in 2024, compared with −10.0 ‰ in 2022
Natural change per 1,000 residents (‰), 2022–2024
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
+8.5 ‰
1.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with −7.4 ‰ in 2015
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (‰), 2015–2025
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
+9.4 ‰
5.0 ‰ in 2025, compared with −4.4 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (‰), 2015–2025
Dwellings completed in the year
+85+110.4%
162 in 2024, compared with 77 in 2011
Dwellings completed in the year, 2011–2024
Net income per resident (per year)
+3,625 €+50.1%
10,855 € in 2025, compared with 7,230 € in 2022
Net income per resident (per year) (€), 2022–2025
Average annual net pay per employee
+4,273 €+46.3%
13,505 € in 2025, compared with 9,232 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee (€), 2022–2025
Average annual net pension per pensioner
+2,391 €+44.5%
7,763 € in 2025, compared with 5,372 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner (€), 2022–2025
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
+3,873+8.3%
50,591 in 2024, compared with 46,718 in 2011
Persons in paid employment in legal entities, 2011–2024
Tourist nights in the year
+16,254+5.3%
320,869 in 2021, compared with 304,615 in 2012
Tourist nights in the year, 2012–2021
Tourist nights in commercial accommodation
+230,534+62.7%
598,120 in 2025, compared with 367,586 in 2018
Tourist nights in commercial accommodation, 2018–2025
Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation
+73,604+47.5%
228,666 in 2025, compared with 155,062 in 2018
Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation, 2018–2025
Beds in commercial accommodation
+1,238+16.5%
8,720 in 2025, compared with 7,482 in 2018
Beds in commercial accommodation, 2018–2025
Where is Rijeka?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Čavle4.1 km · 7,214
- Jelenje5.4 km · 5,168
- Viškovo6.4 km · 17,028
- Kostrena6.4 km · 4,741
- Kastav7.9 km · 10,359
- Bakar8.0 km · 7,685
- Matulji9.8 km · 11,016
- Opatija9.9 km · 10,946
All municipalities in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Rijeka?
Rijeka has 104,856 residents (2025), ranking 3 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Rijeka?
Rijeka covers 43.4 km², with a density of 2,416 people per km².
Is the population of Rijeka growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Rijeka went from 119,999 to 104,856, a change of −12.6%.
Where is Rijeka?
Rijeka is in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. Latitude 45.333, longitude 14.433.
Number of dwellings: what is the figure for Rijeka?
In Rijeka, “Number of dwellings” stands at 63,360 (2021), ranking 3 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 1,867.
Kindergartens and preschool institutions: what is the figure for Rijeka?
In Rijeka, “Kindergartens and preschool institutions” stands at 49 (2025/2026), ranking 3 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 1.
Which municipalities border Rijeka?
The nearest to Rijeka are Čavle (4.1 km), Jelenje (5.4 km), Viškovo (6.4 km), Kostrena (6.4 km), Kastav (7.9 km).