Benkovac: population and statistics
Benkovac has a population of 8,995 (2025) across 3.8 km², or 2,367 people per km². It ranks 71 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −16.8% between 2015 and 2025.
- 8,995 residents
- 3.8 km²
- 2,367 people/km²
Benkovac in numbers
Key points
Among the 34 municipalities in Zadar County, Benkovac ranks No. 2 by population.
Pensioners per 1,000 residents: 483 in Benkovac, compared with an average of 309 in Zadar County and 304 nationally.
Population of Benkovac over time
Benkovac had 10,814 residents in 2015 and 8,995 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 9,943 |
| 2021 | 9,654 |
| 2022 | 9,326 |
| 2023 | 9,121 |
| 2024 | 8,950 |
| 2025 | 8,995 |
Did you know?
- “Primary schools”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Pensioners per 1,000 residents”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Number of dwellings”: higher than in 90% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 532 football pitches.
- Its population density is 21.0 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Polača, 7.9 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Zadar (74,393 residents), 32 km away.
All indicators for Benkovac
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 | Benkovac | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 44.6 years | 44.6 | 44.8 | ranked 298 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 22.7% | 24.0% | 22.9% | ranked 279 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 13.5% | 14.6% | 13.7% | ranked 299 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −8.0 ‰ | −3.7 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 324 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 12.1 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 152 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 16.6 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 57 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Benkovac | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 7,128 | 156,903 | 2,390,500 | ranked 57 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 736 | 1,001 | 604 | ranked 184 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 13.2% | 16.9% | 7.9% | ranked 219 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 38.3% | 27.9% | 25.9% | ranked 70 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 100.8 m² | 94.6 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 267 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 18 | 2,578 | 16,654 | ranked 130 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 15.9 | 73.7 | 7.2 | ranked 144 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 99.3% | 99.8% | 99.0% | ranked 228 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Benkovac | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 6.4% | 5.0% | 12.8% | ranked 349 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 48.3% | 71.4% | 31.3% | ranked 169 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Benkovac | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 12.1% | 5.7% | 6.0% | ranked 150 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 21.2% | 10.8% | 19.5% | ranked 235 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 10.0% | 7.3% | 9.0% | ranked 209 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 8,684 € | 8,574 € | 7,821 € | ranked 169 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 10,342 € | 11,201 € | 11,010 € | ranked 393 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 4,951 € | 6,929 € | 6,391 € | ranked 498 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 521 | 489 | 456 | ranked 98 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 483 | 309 | 302 | ranked 25 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Benkovac | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 5.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | ranked 228 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 41.3% | 46.3% | 45.2% | ranked 393 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 2,438 | 45,382 | 1,262,193 | ranked 74 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 272 | 274 | 150 | ranked 101 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 40.7% | 34.2% | 55.5% | ranked 397 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Benkovac | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 38,663 | – | 9,381 | ranked 156 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 3.9 | 64.1 | 1.6 | ranked 172 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 11.3% | 12.9% | 6.5% | ranked 142 of 545 | |
| Tourist nights in commercial accommodation (2025) | 74,378 | – | 303,422 | ranked 115 of 143 | |
| Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation (2025) | 11,576 | – | 45,455 | ranked 115 of 143 | |
| Tourist nights per resident (2025) | 8.3 | 64.6 | 87.2 | ranked 129 of 143 | |
| Average nights per arrival (2025) | 6.4 | 5.4 | 6.3 | ranked 64 of 143 | |
| Share of nights by foreign tourists (2025) | 95.2% | 87.2% | 92.2% | ranked 38 of 143 | |
| Beds in commercial accommodation (2025) | 1,543 | – | 4,527 | ranked 115 of 146 | |
| Beds per 1,000 residents (2025) | 172 | 1,008 | 1,506 | ranked 131 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in hotels and similar accommodation (2025) | 0.0% | 7.5% | 6.6% | ranked 117 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in campsites (2025) | 9.5% | 22.5% | 7.1% | ranked 66 of 146 |
Society
| Indicator | Benkovac | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.83 | 2.66 | 2.75 | ranked 225 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Benkovac | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 5 | 95 | 1,794 | ranked 51 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 282 | 6,478 | 158,685 | ranked 97 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 31 | 39 | 35 | ranked 332 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 13 | 112 | 1,925 | ranked 13 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 564 | 13,110 | 291,355 | ranked 91 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 63 | 78 | 72 | ranked 379 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 7.7 | 8.8 | 6.3 | ranked 155 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 297 | 6,213 | 139,372 | ranked 72 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 33 | 37 | 28 | ranked 139 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 10.4% | 22.3% | 13.0% | ranked 364 of 545 |
Benkovac: 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
−8.0 ‰ in 2024, compared with −8.8 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
12.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with −28.4 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
16.6 ‰ in 2025, compared with −26.6 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
18 in 2024, compared with 31 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
8,684 € in 2025, compared with 4,874 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
10,342 € in 2025, compared with 6,808 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
4,951 € in 2025, compared with 3,481 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
2,438 in 2024, compared with 1,624 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
42,648 in 2021, compared with 3,245 in 2012
Tourist nights in commercial accommodation
74,378 in 2025, compared with 30,464 in 2018
Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation
11,576 in 2025, compared with 4,117 in 2018
Beds in commercial accommodation
1,543 in 2025, compared with 905 in 2018
Where is Benkovac?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Polača7.9 km · 1,390
- Škabrnja14 km · 1,647
- Lišane Ostrovičke14 km · 548
- Stankovci15 km · 1,769
- Pakoštane16 km · 4,339
- Sveti Filip i Jakov17 km · 4,854
- Novigrad17 km · 2,090
- Galovac18 km · 1,251
All municipalities in Zadar County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Benkovac?
Benkovac has 8,995 residents (2025), ranking 71 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Benkovac?
Benkovac covers 3.8 km², with a density of 2,367 people per km².
Is the population of Benkovac growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Benkovac went from 10,814 to 8,995, a change of −16.8%.
Where is Benkovac?
Benkovac is in Zadar County. Latitude 44.034, longitude 15.613.
Primary schools: what is the figure for Benkovac?
In Benkovac, “Primary schools” stands at 13 (2025/2026), ranking 13 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 2.
Pensioners per 1,000 residents: what is the figure for Benkovac?
In Benkovac, “Pensioners per 1,000 residents” stands at 483 (2025), ranking 25 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 302.
Which municipalities border Benkovac?
The nearest to Benkovac are Polača (7.9 km), Škabrnja (14 km), Lišane Ostrovičke (14 km), Stankovci (15 km), Pakoštane (16 km).