Makarska: population and statistics
Makarska has a population of 14,408 (2025) across 37.8 km², or 381 people per km². It ranks 37 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +4.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 14,408 residents
- 37.8 km²
- 381 people/km²
Makarska in numbers
Key points
Among the 55 municipalities in Split-Dalmatia County, Makarska ranks No. 5 by population.
Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning: 93.6% in Makarska, compared with an average of 77.3% in Split-Dalmatia County and 52.8% nationally.
Population of Makarska over time
Makarska had 13,809 residents in 2015 and 14,408 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 13,333 |
| 2021 | 13,342 |
| 2022 | 13,499 |
| 2023 | 13,903 |
| 2024 | 14,153 |
| 2025 | 14,408 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Split-Dalmatia County for “Dwellings completed in the year”.
- “Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings completed in the year”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Pupils per teacher in primary schools”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 5,294 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.4 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Tučepi, 4.3 km away.
All indicators for Makarska
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 | Makarska | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 43.1 years | 43.6 | 44.8 | ranked 439 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 21.1% | 21.7% | 22.9% | ranked 388 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 15.1% | 14.8% | 13.7% | ranked 115 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −1.8 ‰ | −2.5 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 68 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 16.7 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 92 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 19.6 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 44 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Makarska | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 10,906 | 283,603 | 2,390,500 | ranked 30 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 820 | 676 | 604 | ranked 150 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 14.7% | 7.0% | 7.9% | ranked 201 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 26.3% | 25.6% | 25.9% | ranked 262 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 82.1 m² | 82.7 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 515 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 381 | 2,196 | 16,654 | ranked 5 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 102.4 | 22.4 | 7.2 | ranked 17 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 100.0% | 99.8% | 99.0% | ranked 1 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Makarska | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 9.1% | 4.7% | 12.8% | ranked 311 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 93.6% | 77.3% | 31.3% | ranked 2 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Makarska | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 1.0% | 1.9% | 6.0% | ranked 520 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 7.8% | 11.6% | 19.5% | ranked 516 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 5.4% | 7.9% | 9.0% | ranked 477 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 8,895 € | 8,791 € | 7,821 € | ranked 147 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 9,277 € | 11,451 € | 11,010 € | ranked 500 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 6,893 € | 7,235 € | 6,391 € | ranked 137 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 602 | 488 | 456 | ranked 30 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 271 | 278 | 302 | ranked 423 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Makarska | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 2.3% | 6.6% | 4.6% | ranked 475 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 50.9% | 47.6% | 45.2% | ranked 114 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 4,335 | 121,960 | 1,262,193 | ranked 38 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 306 | 282 | 150 | ranked 81 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 18.3% | 36.2% | 55.5% | ranked 516 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Makarska | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 1,554,458 | – | 9,381 | ranked 17 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 115.3 | 44.1 | 1.6 | ranked 65 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 24.8% | 12.6% | 6.5% | ranked 29 of 545 | |
| Tourist nights in commercial accommodation (2025) | 1,703,820 | – | 303,422 | ranked 15 of 143 | |
| Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation (2025) | 328,183 | – | 45,455 | ranked 13 of 143 | |
| Tourist nights per resident (2025) | 118.3 | 48.9 | 87.2 | ranked 58 of 143 | |
| Average nights per arrival (2025) | 5.2 | 4.7 | 6.3 | ranked 102 of 143 | |
| Share of nights by foreign tourists (2025) | 92.9% | 91.9% | 92.2% | ranked 65 of 143 | |
| Beds in commercial accommodation (2025) | 21,723 | – | 4,527 | ranked 13 of 146 | |
| Beds per 1,000 residents (2025) | 1,508 | 713 | 1,506 | ranked 73 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in hotels and similar accommodation (2025) | 19.7% | 13.6% | 6.6% | ranked 22 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in campsites (2025) | 2.9% | 5.1% | 7.1% | ranked 90 of 146 |
Society
| Indicator | Makarska | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.74 | 2.78 | 2.75 | ranked 275 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Makarska | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 8 | 252 | 1,794 | ranked 29 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 574 | 17,635 | 158,685 | ranked 39 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 40 | 41 | 35 | ranked 177 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 2 | 188 | 1,925 | ranked 242 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 1,187 | 32,863 | 291,355 | ranked 35 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 82 | 76 | 72 | ranked 124 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 10.4 | 8.6 | 6.3 | ranked 24 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 577 | 17,671 | 139,372 | ranked 35 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 40 | 41 | 28 | ranked 47 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 25.7% | 25.7% | 13.0% | ranked 34 of 545 |
Makarska: 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
−1.8 ‰ in 2024, compared with −1.4 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
16.7 ‰ in 2025, compared with 1.3 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
19.6 ‰ in 2025, compared with −0.2 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
381 in 2024, compared with 103 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
8,895 € in 2025, compared with 5,998 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
9,277 € in 2025, compared with 6,330 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
6,893 € in 2025, compared with 4,665 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
4,335 in 2024, compared with 3,285 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
1,152,713 in 2021, compared with 988,090 in 2012
Tourist nights in commercial accommodation
1,703,820 in 2025, compared with 1,503,063 in 2018
Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation
328,183 in 2025, compared with 251,678 in 2018
Beds in commercial accommodation
21,723 in 2025, compared with 23,225 in 2018
Where is Makarska?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Tučepi4.3 km · 1,900
- Podgora7.8 km · 2,366
- Baška Voda9.2 km · 2,745
- Brela11 km · 1,750
- Zagvozd12 km · 937
- Selca14 km · 1,616
- Sućuraj19 km · 455
- Zadvarje19 km · 293
All municipalities in Split-Dalmatia County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Makarska?
Makarska has 14,408 residents (2025), ranking 37 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Makarska?
Makarska covers 37.8 km², with a density of 381 people per km².
Is the population of Makarska growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Makarska went from 13,809 to 14,408, a change of +4.3%.
Where is Makarska?
Makarska is in Split-Dalmatia County. Latitude 43.293, longitude 17.020.
Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning: what is the figure for Makarska?
In Makarska, “Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning” stands at 93.6% (2021), ranking 2 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 31.3%.
Dwellings completed in the year: what is the figure for Makarska?
In Makarska, “Dwellings completed in the year” stands at 381 (2024), ranking 5 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 4.
Which municipalities border Makarska?
The nearest to Makarska are Tučepi (4.3 km), Podgora (7.8 km), Baška Voda (9.2 km), Brela (11 km), Zagvozd (12 km).