Polača: population and statistics
Polača has a population of 1,390 (2025) across 30.0 km², or 46.3 people per km². It ranks 439 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −3.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 1,390 residents
- 30.0 km²
- 46 people/km²
Polača in numbers
Key points
Among the 34 municipalities in Zadar County, Polača ranks No. 28 by population.
Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation: 0.2% in Polača, compared with an average of 5.0% in Zadar County and 41.3% nationally.
Average nights per arrival: 8.6 in Polača, compared with an average of 5.4 in Zadar County and 5.1 nationally.
Population of Polača over time
Polača had 1,438 residents in 2015 and 1,390 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,407 |
| 2021 | 1,393 |
| 2022 | 1,370 |
| 2023 | 1,387 |
| 2024 | 1,380 |
| 2025 | 1,390 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Zadar County for “Average floor area of an occupied dwelling”.
- “Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average nights per arrival”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average floor area of an occupied dwelling”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 4,202 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.4 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Benkovac (8,995 residents), 7.9 km away.
All indicators for Polača
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 | Polača | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 44.7 years | 44.6 | 44.8 | ranked 281 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 23.5% | 24.0% | 22.9% | ranked 234 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 14.0% | 14.6% | 13.7% | ranked 232 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −4.3 ‰ | −3.7 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 157 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 6.5 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 218 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 7.9 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 152 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Polača | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 974 | 156,903 | 2,390,500 | ranked 428 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 701 | 1,001 | 604 | ranked 202 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 4.7% | 16.9% | 7.9% | ranked 332 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 47.6% | 27.9% | 25.9% | ranked 29 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 121.8 m² | 94.6 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 15 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 14 | 2,578 | 16,654 | ranked 148 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 42.8 | 73.7 | 7.2 | ranked 60 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.0% | ranked 131 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Polača | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 0.2% | 5.0% | 12.8% | ranked 545 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 60.7% | 71.4% | 31.3% | ranked 134 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Polača | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 17.0% | 5.7% | 6.0% | ranked 89 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 13.8% | 10.8% | 19.5% | ranked 381 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 4.7% | 7.3% | 9.0% | ranked 501 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 7,452 € | 8,574 € | 7,821 € | ranked 341 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 10,615 € | 11,201 € | 11,010 € | ranked 337 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 5,449 € | 6,929 € | 6,391 € | ranked 446 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 450 | 489 | 456 | ranked 290 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 373 | 309 | 302 | ranked 95 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Polača | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 3.8% | 4.6% | 4.6% | ranked 334 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 43.0% | 46.3% | 45.2% | ranked 350 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 142 | 45,382 | 1,262,193 | ranked 444 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 103 | 274 | 150 | ranked 377 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 71.7% | 34.2% | 55.5% | ranked 84 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Polača | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 15,501 | – | 9,381 | ranked 189 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 10.9 | 64.1 | 1.6 | ranked 148 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 15.4% | 12.9% | 6.5% | ranked 99 of 545 | |
| Tourist nights in commercial accommodation (2025) | 25,698 | – | 303,422 | ranked 131 of 143 | |
| Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation (2025) | 3,001 | – | 45,455 | ranked 134 of 143 | |
| Tourist nights per resident (2025) | 18.5 | 64.6 | 87.2 | ranked 121 of 143 | |
| Average nights per arrival (2025) | 8.6 | 5.4 | 6.3 | ranked 2 of 143 | |
| Share of nights by foreign tourists (2025) | 96.7% | 87.2% | 92.2% | ranked 21 of 143 | |
| Beds in commercial accommodation (2025) | 558 | – | 4,527 | ranked 133 of 146 | |
| Beds per 1,000 residents (2025) | 401 | 1,008 | 1,506 | ranked 121 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in hotels and similar accommodation (2025) | 2.2% | 7.5% | 6.6% | ranked 99 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in campsites (2025) | 0.0% | 22.5% | 7.1% | ranked 112 of 146 |
Society
| Indicator | Polača | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 3.02 | 2.66 | 2.75 | ranked 131 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Polača | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 0 | 95 | 1,794 | ranked 494 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 0 | 6,478 | 158,685 | ranked 494 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 0 | 39 | 35 | ranked 494 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 1 | 112 | 1,925 | ranked 351 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 118 | 13,110 | 291,355 | ranked 383 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 85 | 78 | 72 | ranked 106 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 5.9 | 8.8 | 6.3 | ranked 296 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 33 | 6,213 | 139,372 | ranked 426 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 24 | 37 | 28 | ranked 347 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 12.2% | 22.3% | 13.0% | ranked 291 of 545 |
Polača: 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
−4.3 ‰ in 2024, compared with −5.8 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
6.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with −32.0 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
7.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with −39.6 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
14 in 2024, compared with 12 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
7,452 € in 2025, compared with 4,427 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
10,615 € in 2025, compared with 6,856 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
5,449 € in 2025, compared with 3,621 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
142 in 2024, compared with 108 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
15,935 in 2021, compared with 0 in 2012
Tourist nights in commercial accommodation
25,698 in 2025, compared with 13,288 in 2018
Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation
3,001 in 2025, compared with 1,491 in 2018
Beds in commercial accommodation
558 in 2025, compared with 349 in 2018
Where is Polača?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Benkovac7.9 km · 8,995
- Sveti Filip i Jakov9.6 km · 4,854
- Škabrnja9.8 km · 1,647
- Biograd na Moru11 km · 6,203
- Galovac12 km · 1,251
- Pakoštane12 km · 4,339
- Pašman13 km · 2,334
- Tkon13 km · 779
All municipalities in Zadar County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Polača?
Polača has 1,390 residents (2025), ranking 439 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Polača?
Polača covers 30.0 km², with a density of 46 people per km².
Is the population of Polača growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Polača went from 1,438 to 1,390, a change of −3.3%.
Where is Polača?
Polača is in Zadar County. Latitude 44.017, longitude 15.517.
Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation: what is the figure for Polača?
In Polača, “Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation” stands at 0.2% (2021), ranking 545 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 12.8%.
Average nights per arrival: what is the figure for Polača?
In Polača, “Average nights per arrival” stands at 8.6 (2025), ranking 2 of 143 municipalities; the national median is 6.3.
Which municipalities border Polača?
The nearest to Polača are Benkovac (7.9 km), Sveti Filip i Jakov (9.6 km), Škabrnja (9.8 km), Biograd na Moru (11 km), Galovac (12 km).