Preko: population and statistics
Preko has a population of 3,675 (2025) across 54.6 km², or 67.3 people per km². It ranks 190 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −5.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 3,675 residents
- 54.6 km²
- 67 people/km²
Preko in numbers
Key points
Among the 34 municipalities in Zadar County, Preko ranks No. 9 by population.
Average annual net pension per pensioner: 7,772 € in Preko, compared with an average of 6,929 € in Zadar County and 7,010 € nationally.
Average age of residents: 51.1 years in Preko, compared with an average of 44.6 years in Zadar County and 44.3 years nationally.
Population of Preko over time
Preko had 3,880 residents in 2015 and 3,675 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,583 |
| 2021 | 3,546 |
| 2022 | 3,574 |
| 2023 | 3,627 |
| 2024 | 3,673 |
| 2025 | 3,675 |
Did you know?
- “Average annual net pension per pensioner”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average age of residents”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Average household size in occupied dwellings”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 7,647 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Kali, 3.7 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Zadar (74,393 residents), 4.7 km away.
All indicators for Preko
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 | Preko | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 51.1 years | 44.6 | 44.8 | ranked 19 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 36.2% | 24.0% | 22.9% | ranked 15 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 10.8% | 14.6% | 13.7% | ranked 494 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −10.9 ‰ | −3.7 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 418 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 15.0 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 114 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 10.9 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 111 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Preko | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 4,683 | 156,903 | 2,390,500 | ranked 99 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 1,317 | 1,001 | 604 | ranked 62 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 34.4% | 16.9% | 7.9% | ranked 43 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 29.7% | 27.9% | 25.9% | ranked 201 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 99.3 m² | 94.6 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 289 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 39 | 2,578 | 16,654 | ranked 80 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 57.4 | 73.7 | 7.2 | ranked 41 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 | Preko | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 2.5% | 5.0% | 12.8% | ranked 472 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 78.8% | 71.4% | 31.3% | ranked 39 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Preko | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 11.4% | 5.7% | 6.0% | ranked 159 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 8.3% | 10.8% | 19.5% | ranked 509 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 4.9% | 7.3% | 9.0% | ranked 497 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 9,401 € | 8,574 € | 7,821 € | ranked 93 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 11,152 € | 11,201 € | 11,010 € | ranked 247 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 7,772 € | 6,929 € | 6,391 € | ranked 7 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 447 | 489 | 456 | ranked 300 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 449 | 309 | 302 | ranked 34 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Preko | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 3.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | ranked 351 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 38.3% | 46.3% | 45.2% | ranked 459 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 798 | 45,382 | 1,262,193 | ranked 156 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 217 | 274 | 150 | ranked 170 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 37.0% | 34.2% | 55.5% | ranked 417 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Preko | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 182,441 | – | 9,381 | ranked 89 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 50.4 | 64.1 | 1.6 | ranked 109 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 13.0% | 12.9% | 6.5% | ranked 119 of 545 | |
| Tourist nights in commercial accommodation (2025) | 215,654 | – | 303,422 | ranked 80 of 143 | |
| Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation (2025) | 33,428 | – | 45,455 | ranked 83 of 143 | |
| Tourist nights per resident (2025) | 58.7 | 64.6 | 87.2 | ranked 96 of 143 | |
| Average nights per arrival (2025) | 6.5 | 5.4 | 6.3 | ranked 58 of 143 | |
| Share of nights by foreign tourists (2025) | 83.5% | 87.2% | 92.2% | ranked 125 of 143 | |
| Beds in commercial accommodation (2025) | 3,762 | – | 4,527 | ranked 80 of 146 | |
| Beds per 1,000 residents (2025) | 1,024 | 1,008 | 1,506 | ranked 95 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in hotels and similar accommodation (2025) | 8.4% | 7.5% | 6.6% | ranked 62 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in campsites (2025) | 20.2% | 22.5% | 7.1% | ranked 42 of 146 |
Society
| Indicator | Preko | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.30 | 2.66 | 2.75 | ranked 510 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Preko | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 4 | 95 | 1,794 | ranked 60 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 91 | 6,478 | 158,685 | ranked 262 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 25 | 39 | 35 | ranked 396 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 4 | 112 | 1,925 | ranked 117 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 225 | 13,110 | 291,355 | ranked 235 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 61 | 78 | 72 | ranked 398 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 3.4 | 8.8 | 6.3 | ranked 474 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 111 | 6,213 | 139,372 | ranked 173 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 30 | 37 | 28 | ranked 204 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 23.0% | 22.3% | 13.0% | ranked 67 of 545 |
Preko: 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
−10.9 ‰ in 2024, compared with −15.9 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
15.0 ‰ in 2025, compared with 7.5 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
10.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with −4.4 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
39 in 2024, compared with 12 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
9,401 € in 2025, compared with 6,713 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
11,152 € in 2025, compared with 7,920 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
7,772 € in 2025, compared with 5,339 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
798 in 2024, compared with 649 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
191,357 in 2021, compared with 142,807 in 2014
Tourist nights in commercial accommodation
215,654 in 2025, compared with 186,080 in 2018
Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation
33,428 in 2025, compared with 22,186 in 2018
Beds in commercial accommodation
3,762 in 2025, compared with 4,120 in 2018
Where is Preko?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Kali3.7 km · 1,651
- Zadar4.7 km · 74,393
- Kukljica7.6 km · 641
- Bibinje8.5 km · 4,246
- Sukošan11 km · 4,998
- Zemunik Donji16 km · 2,314
- Galovac17 km · 1,251
- Nin17 km · 3,259
All municipalities in Zadar County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Preko?
Preko has 3,675 residents (2025), ranking 190 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Preko?
Preko covers 54.6 km², with a density of 67 people per km².
Is the population of Preko growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Preko went from 3,880 to 3,675, a change of −5.3%.
Where is Preko?
Preko is in Zadar County. Latitude 44.086, longitude 15.183.
Average annual net pension per pensioner: what is the figure for Preko?
In Preko, “Average annual net pension per pensioner” stands at 7,772 € (2025), ranking 7 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 6,391 €.
Average age of residents: what is the figure for Preko?
In Preko, “Average age of residents” stands at 51.1 years (2021), ranking 19 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 44.8 years.
Which municipalities border Preko?
The nearest to Preko are Kali (3.7 km), Zadar (4.7 km), Kukljica (7.6 km), Bibinje (8.5 km), Sukošan (11 km).