Vrlika: population and statistics
Vrlika has a population of 1,628 (2025) across 243.5 km², or 6.7 people per km². It ranks 405 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −17.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 1,628 residents
- 243.5 km²
- 7 people/km²
Vrlika in numbers
Key points
Among the 55 municipalities in Split-Dalmatia County, Vrlika ranks No. 40 by population.
Share of children aged 0 to 14: 7.1% in Vrlika, compared with an average of 14.8% in Split-Dalmatia County and 14.3% nationally.
Employed share of residents aged 15 and over: 34.2% in Vrlika, compared with an average of 47.6% in Split-Dalmatia County and 49.1% nationally.
Population of Vrlika over time
Vrlika had 1,969 residents in 2015 and 1,628 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,751 |
| 2021 | 1,731 |
| 2022 | 1,699 |
| 2023 | 1,674 |
| 2024 | 1,648 |
| 2025 | 1,628 |
Did you know?
- “Share of children aged 0 to 14”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Employed share of residents aged 15 and over”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- “Pupils per teacher in primary schools”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 34,104 football pitches.
- Its population density is 16.8 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Civljane, 3.7 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Drniš (6,126 residents), 21 km away.
All indicators for Vrlika
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 | Vrlika | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 51.1 years | 43.6 | 44.8 | ranked 19 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 31.4% | 21.7% | 22.9% | ranked 37 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 7.1% | 14.8% | 13.7% | ranked 541 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −14.0 ‰ | −2.5 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 475 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 4.9 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 241 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 6.1 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 196 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Vrlika | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 1,406 | 283,603 | 2,390,500 | ranked 342 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 814 | 676 | 604 | ranked 152 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 25.7% | 7.0% | 7.9% | ranked 97 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 25.7% | 25.6% | 25.9% | ranked 279 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 82.3 m² | 82.7 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 508 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 2 | 2,196 | 16,654 | ranked 314 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 1.8 | 22.4 | 7.2 | ranked 500 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 96.6% | 99.8% | 99.0% | ranked 431 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Vrlika | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 3.1% | 4.7% | 12.8% | ranked 449 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 21.3% | 77.3% | 31.3% | ranked 382 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Vrlika | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 6.2% | 1.9% | 6.0% | ranked 269 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 15.7% | 11.6% | 19.5% | ranked 343 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 7.1% | 7.9% | 9.0% | ranked 387 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 8,197 € | 8,791 € | 7,821 € | ranked 226 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 12,159 € | 11,451 € | 11,010 € | ranked 122 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 7,003 € | 7,235 € | 6,391 € | ranked 109 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 365 | 488 | 456 | ranked 500 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 436 | 278 | 302 | ranked 42 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Vrlika | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 5.7% | 6.6% | 4.6% | ranked 219 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 34.2% | 47.6% | 45.2% | ranked 511 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 283 | 121,960 | 1,262,193 | ranked 315 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 172 | 282 | 150 | ranked 237 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 38.1% | 36.2% | 55.5% | ranked 414 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Vrlika | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 2,377 | – | 9,381 | ranked 263 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 1.3 | 44.1 | 1.6 | ranked 223 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 5.6% | 12.6% | 6.5% | ranked 336 of 545 |
Society
| Indicator | Vrlika | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.32 | 2.78 | 2.75 | ranked 508 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Vrlika | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 1 | 252 | 1,794 | ranked 189 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 49 | 17,635 | 158,685 | ranked 381 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 30 | 41 | 35 | ranked 342 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 1 | 188 | 1,925 | ranked 351 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 57 | 32,863 | 291,355 | ranked 486 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 35 | 76 | 72 | ranked 505 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 2.6 | 8.6 | 6.3 | ranked 502 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 43 | 17,671 | 139,372 | ranked 373 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 26 | 41 | 28 | ranked 298 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 10.1% | 25.7% | 13.0% | ranked 373 of 545 |
Vrlika: 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
−14.0 ‰ in 2024, compared with −10.6 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
4.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 57.9 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
6.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with −5.6 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
2 in 2024, compared with 2 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
8,197 € in 2025, compared with 4,769 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
12,159 € in 2025, compared with 7,571 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
7,003 € in 2025, compared with 4,498 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
283 in 2024, compared with 266 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
1,541 in 2021, compared with 0 in 2012
Where is Vrlika?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Civljane3.7 km · 144
- Kijevo7.9 km · 256
- Biskupija16 km · 1,081
- Ružić16 km · 1,215
- Drniš21 km · 6,126
- Knin22 km · 10,588
- Hrvace25 km · 2,999
- Promina26 km · 910
All municipalities in Split-Dalmatia County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Vrlika?
Vrlika has 1,628 residents (2025), ranking 405 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Vrlika?
Vrlika covers 243.5 km², with a density of 7 people per km².
Is the population of Vrlika growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Vrlika went from 1,969 to 1,628, a change of −17.3%.
Where is Vrlika?
Vrlika is in Split-Dalmatia County. Latitude 43.917, longitude 16.400.
Share of children aged 0 to 14: what is the figure for Vrlika?
In Vrlika, “Share of children aged 0 to 14” stands at 7.1% (2021), ranking 541 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 13.7%.
Employed share of residents aged 15 and over: what is the figure for Vrlika?
In Vrlika, “Employed share of residents aged 15 and over” stands at 34.2% (2021), ranking 511 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 45.2%.
Which municipalities border Vrlika?
The nearest to Vrlika are Civljane (3.7 km), Kijevo (7.9 km), Biskupija (16 km), Ružić (16 km), Drniš (21 km).