Municipality · Zadar County
Zadar: population and statistics
Zadar has a population of 74,393 (2025) across 51.3 km², or 1,450 people per km². It ranks 5 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +1.4% between 2015 and 2025.
- 74,393 residents
- 51.3 km²
- 1,450 people/km²
Zadar in numbers
Population
74,393
ranked 5 of 556
+1.4%over 10 years
2015–2025
Population density
1,450people/km²
ranked 30 of 546
Area
51.3km²
ranked 201 of 556
Dwellings completed in the year
878
ranked 2 of 546
Kindergartens and preschool institutions
47
ranked 5 of 546
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
28,393
ranked 6 of 546
Tourist nights in the year
2,020,302
ranked 9 of 422
Key points
Among the 34 municipalities in Zadar County, Zadar ranks No. 1 by population.
Population of Zadar over time
Population, 2015–2025
Compare two years
Zadar had 73,344 residents in 2015 and 74,393 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 70,811 |
| 2021 | 70,806 |
| 2022 | 71,437 |
| 2023 | 72,716 |
| 2024 | 73,749 |
| 2025 | 74,393 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Zadar County for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Zadar County for “Employed share of residents aged 15 and over”.
- “Dwellings completed in the year”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Kindergartens and preschool institutions”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Persons in paid employment in legal entities”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 7,185 football pitches.
- Its population density is 12.9 times the national average.
All indicators for Zadar
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.
ZadarNational medianHover over or tap a bar to see what it shows.
Population
| Indicator | Zadar | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 43.2 years | 44.6 | 44.8 | ranked 430 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 21.5% | 24.0% | 22.9% | ranked 363 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 15.8% | 14.6% | 13.7% | ranked 65 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −2.1 ‰ | −3.7 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 78 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 10.9 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 163 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 11.2 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 108 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Zadar | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 45,217 | 156,903 | 2,390,500 | ranked 5 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 639 | 1,001 | 604 | ranked 244 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 7.6% | 16.9% | 7.9% | ranked 277 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 26.8% | 27.9% | 25.9% | ranked 250 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 84.3 m² | 94.6 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 493 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 878 | 2,578 | 16,654 | ranked 2 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 55.9 | 73.7 | 7.2 | ranked 43 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 | Zadar | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 6.2% | 5.0% | 12.8% | ranked 352 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 80.5% | 71.4% | 31.3% | ranked 29 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Zadar | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 2.7% | 5.7% | 6.0% | ranked 431 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 8.9% | 10.8% | 19.5% | ranked 497 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 5.8% | 7.3% | 9.0% | ranked 461 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 9,115 € | 8,574 € | 7,821 € | ranked 124 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 12,284 € | 11,201 € | 11,010 € | ranked 106 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 7,476 € | 6,929 € | 6,391 € | ranked 32 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 492 | 489 | 456 | ranked 168 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 259 | 309 | 302 | ranked 465 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Zadar | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 4.9% | 4.6% | 4.6% | ranked 255 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 50.5% | 46.3% | 45.2% | ranked 133 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 28,393 | 45,382 | 1,262,193 | ranked 6 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 385 | 274 | 150 | ranked 47 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 15.0% | 34.2% | 55.5% | ranked 528 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Zadar | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 2,020,302 | – | 9,381 | ranked 9 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 28.2 | 64.1 | 1.6 | ranked 124 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 11.0% | 12.9% | 6.5% | ranked 145 of 545 | |
| Tourist nights in commercial accommodation (2025) | 2,316,458 | – | 303,422 | ranked 7 of 143 | |
| Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation (2025) | 676,459 | – | 45,455 | ranked 4 of 143 | |
| Tourist nights per resident (2025) | 31.1 | 64.6 | 87.2 | ranked 112 of 143 | |
| Average nights per arrival (2025) | 3.4 | 5.4 | 6.3 | ranked 135 of 143 | |
| Share of nights by foreign tourists (2025) | 87.7% | 87.2% | 92.2% | ranked 103 of 143 | |
| Beds in commercial accommodation (2025) | 28,357 | – | 4,527 | ranked 9 of 146 | |
| Beds per 1,000 residents (2025) | 381 | 1,008 | 1,506 | ranked 122 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in hotels and similar accommodation (2025) | 15.1% | 7.5% | 6.6% | ranked 36 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in campsites (2025) | 4.3% | 22.5% | 7.1% | ranked 83 of 146 |
Society
| Indicator | Zadar | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.62 | 2.66 | 2.75 | ranked 359 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Zadar | Zadar County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 47 | 95 | 1,794 | ranked 5 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 3,348 | 6,478 | 158,685 | ranked 5 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 45 | 39 | 35 | ranked 91 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 20 | 112 | 1,925 | ranked 5 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 6,867 | 13,110 | 291,355 | ranked 5 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 92 | 78 | 72 | ranked 57 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 11.1 | 8.8 | 6.3 | ranked 19 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 3,358 | 6,213 | 139,372 | ranked 5 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 45 | 37 | 28 | ranked 20 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 30.8% | 22.3% | 13.0% | ranked 11 of 545 |
Zadar: 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 ‰
−2.1 ‰ in 2024, compared with −3.9 ‰ in 2022
Natural change per 1,000 residents (‰), 2022–2024
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
+12.7 ‰
10.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with −1.8 ‰ in 2015
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (‰), 2015–2025
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
+12.9 ‰
11.2 ‰ in 2025, compared with −1.7 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (‰), 2015–2025
Dwellings completed in the year
+578+192.7%
878 in 2024, compared with 300 in 2011
Dwellings completed in the year, 2011–2024
Net income per resident (per year)
+3,103 €+51.6%
9,115 € in 2025, compared with 6,012 € in 2022
Net income per resident (per year) (€), 2022–2025
Average annual net pay per employee
+3,843 €+45.5%
12,284 € in 2025, compared with 8,441 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee (€), 2022–2025
Average annual net pension per pensioner
+2,371 €+46.4%
7,476 € in 2025, compared with 5,105 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner (€), 2022–2025
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
+7,446+35.5%
28,393 in 2024, compared with 20,947 in 2011
Persons in paid employment in legal entities, 2011–2024
Tourist nights in the year
+475,661+45.6%
1,518,174 in 2021, compared with 1,042,513 in 2012
Tourist nights in the year, 2012–2021
Tourist nights in commercial accommodation
+453,611+24.4%
2,316,458 in 2025, compared with 1,862,847 in 2018
Tourist nights in commercial accommodation, 2018–2025
Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation
+118,800+21.3%
676,459 in 2025, compared with 557,659 in 2018
Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation, 2018–2025
Beds in commercial accommodation
−2,118−6.9%
28,357 in 2025, compared with 30,475 in 2018
Beds in commercial accommodation, 2018–2025
Where is Zadar?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Preko4.7 km · 3,675
- Kali6.2 km · 1,651
- Bibinje6.7 km · 4,246
- Kukljica8.9 km · 641
- Sukošan9.9 km · 4,998
- Zemunik Donji12 km · 2,314
- Galovac14 km · 1,251
- Nin14 km · 3,259
All municipalities in Zadar County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Zadar?
Zadar has 74,393 residents (2025), ranking 5 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Zadar?
Zadar covers 51.3 km², with a density of 1,450 people per km².
Is the population of Zadar growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Zadar went from 73,344 to 74,393, a change of +1.4%.
Where is Zadar?
Zadar is in Zadar County. Latitude 44.114, longitude 15.227.
Dwellings completed in the year: what is the figure for Zadar?
In Zadar, “Dwellings completed in the year” stands at 878 (2024), ranking 2 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 4.
Kindergartens and preschool institutions: what is the figure for Zadar?
In Zadar, “Kindergartens and preschool institutions” stands at 47 (2025/2026), ranking 5 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 1.
Which municipalities border Zadar?
The nearest to Zadar are Preko (4.7 km), Kali (6.2 km), Bibinje (6.7 km), Kukljica (8.9 km), Sukošan (9.9 km).