European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC)
Croatia
Policies
CROATIA
(95,173 large families)
1. Regarding policies for large families at a national level, please mark the measure you have in your country:
- Direct monetary benefits
- Reduced prices on basic supplies (energy, water, etc.)
- Housing subsidies
- Reduced prices in public transportation
- Tax deductions
- Large families cards
- Longer maternity/paternity leave for large families
- Support to buy a car
- Other benefits
2. Which specific monetary allowances for large families are in your country.
Child allowance: From March 1st 2024, the income threshold for eligibility increased from €309.01 to €618.02 (from 70 to 140 percent of the budgetary base), meaning that from now on, all families with an income up to €618.02 per member will be entitled to the allowance.
According to government estimates, by introducing the higher threshold, child allowance entitlement will cover about two-thirds of children. This accounts for approximately 511 thousand children, nearly double the current number. The amount of the allowance per income bracket will increase from the current €26.49 to €39.73 to €30.90 to €61.80, and it will be 5 income brackets.
According to previous provisions, the monthly income of families with two children could not exceed €1236 per month (€309 multiplied by the number of family members).
Due to such a low threshold, only families where one parent was unemployed or both were earning minimum wage were eligible for child allowance. Now, this limit is raised to €2472, which already includes all families where two members earn income equal to two average Croatian salaries.
A four-member family eligible for child allowance will now receive between €61.80 and €126.60, depending on the income bracket they fall into. The government has calculated that the average will be around €95.
In addition, families may receive a one-time payment of €300 per child, with a maximum amount of up to €4,000 per family per year. The funds may be used for various purposes, including purchasing equipment and essential items for children, covering housing costs, making minor home adaptations, or addressing extraordinary life expenses.
Eligibility for the support is limited to families with four or more children who meet specific conditions, including Croatian citizenship or residence in Croatia and a defined income threshold.
3. Which specific fiscal deductions for large families are in your country.
The personal deduction of the taxpayer is the non-taxable part of income.
Large families benefit from an increased personal allowance, which reduces the amount of income subject to tax. The basic personal allowance is €600 per month, and additional allowances are granted for dependent children on a progressive scale: €300 for the first child, €420 for the second, €600 for the third, €840 for the fourth, and increasing further for each additional child up to €2,940 for the ninth child. Taxpayers may also claim extra allowances for dependent family members and for disabilities, providing additional tax relief for larger households and families with special care needs.
4. Which specific reduced prices on basic supplies for large families are in your country
There are no reduced prices especially for large families in our country, but there are change in VAT rates for dipers, car seats, for example, for everyone.
5. Which specific benefits are provided by the large families card in your country
Mudrica is a mobile application designed for parents, which provides benefits or discounts on goods or services with partnered businesses.
6. Which specific maternity or paternity benefits for large families are in your country
The maximum allowance for parental leave is now 3,000 euros per month, up from the previous 995 euros, meaning the parents earning up to 3,000 euros will now receive 100% of their salary during the leave.
Parental leave lasts six months if taken by one parent or eight months if taken by both parents. Parents of twins, a third child, or more children now receive a benefit of 803 euros per month for the remainder of their parental leave instead of the previous 551 euros.
Additionally, parents working part-time until their child reaches the age of one year will receive an allowance of 971 euros. In contrast, parents of twins, a third child, or any subsequent children from the first to the third year of the child’s life will receive an allowance of 600 euros.
In 2025, fathers will have the right to longer paternity leave. Instead of the previous 10 days, they will now have the right to 20 working days for the birth of one child. In the case of twins or multiple births, the leave is extended from 15 to 30 days. This measure contributes to greater father involvement in the early stages of parenting.
7. Which specific benefits for large families buying a car are in your country
None.
8. Which specific public transportation benefits for large families are in your country
None.
9. Please write any other specific deductions or benefits for large families that are in your country
None.
10. Are any of the benefits for large families in your country connected to income? If yes, please explain.
Child allowance from question 2. This measure is designed to provide greater support to families with lower incomes to help them cover the cost of living. Additionally, tax deductions may be differentiated based on income to ensure that families with higher incomes do not receive the same levels of benefits as those with lower incomes.
11. Regarding policies for large families at European level, please mark the measures you have in your country
- Reduced VAT for diapers and basic goods for children
- Unpaid care of children in the household and for other dependent family members is recognized as work when calculating the national GDP
- Permit for large families with 7 and more children to drive the family van without professional driving license
- Basic consumptions tariff: water, electricity, gas, etc. is calculated taking into consideration the number of children
12. If you marked at least one of the measures mentioned above as applicable in your country, please provide details
- Calculation of household expenditure per number of household members. (water, garbage..)
- With the new Amendments to the Value Added Tax Act (Official Gazette 39/2022), which applies from April 1, 2022, there has been a change in the VAT rates from 25% to 13% for certain goods and services. Therefore, the 13% VAT rate applies from April 1, 2022, to the following: Child car seats and children’s diapers, which are placed on the market under that name.
(Answers provided by Obitelji 3Plus) Updated 06/2026