Zagreb County Download as PDF Add to basket

Zagreb County, located in the heart of northwestern Croatia, comprises nine towns and 25 municipalities with a population of approximately 300,000. Its strategic position – surrounding the City of Zagreb from the west, south, and east – forms the so-called “Zagreb Ring,” a dynamic economic and transportation hub with direct access to the capital. This proximity provides entrepreneurs with clear advantages in their daily operations, further enhanced by the county’s location at the crossroads of key European transport routes. Road, rail, air, and energy corridors running through the region ensure efficient connectivity with Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Adriatic Sea. Franjo Tuđman Airport, Croatia’s largest and most important airport, is also located within the county, making it an essential transportation and logistics centre.

In addition to excellent transport links, Zagreb County is rich in natural resources and protected areas, including the Medvednica and Žumberak – Samoborsko Gorje nature parks, the Crna Mlaka ornithological reserve, and geomorphological and historical attractions such as Grgos Cave and the St. Barbara mine. These assets form a foundation for developing sustainable tourism, recreation, and health services, particularly in light of the growing interest in thermal and spa tourism based on geothermal springs.

Zagreb County possesses numerous resources essential for developing various economic sectors – abundant underground water, geothermal sources, mineral raw materials, forests, and fertile land suitable for organic farming. The region also stands out for its skilled workforce, developed craft industries, efficient public systems, and high quality of life. All of these factors provide a solid foundation for investments in energy (biogas plants, renewable sources, wood industry), metal processing, food production (meat, fruit, and vegetable processing), agriculture (viticulture, fruit growing, freshwater fish farming), as well as in tourism and health services.

Zagreb County actively supports entrepreneurs through various incentive measures and continuous investment in communal and business infrastructure.

The county is already recognized as an attractive investment destination, evidenced by several significant investments. The Rimac Campus in Sveta Nedelja, worth more than €300 million, is one of Croatia’s most critical technological projects. In Rugvica, the revitalization of the Institute of Immunology is underway through a €140 million project aimed at strengthening the national biotechnology infrastructure. The retail chain Lidl has invested €120 million in a logistics centre in the municipality of Križ, while Spar Croatia has realized an investment of over €110 million in Klinča Sela. These projects confirm the investment potential of Zagreb County and demonstrate that it is a region with top-notch logistics capabilities, skilled professionals, and a favourable business environment.
Thanks to its strategic location, developed infrastructure, and openness to investors, Zagreb County is now one of the most promising areas for investment in Croatia and beyond.

[Source: Zagreb County Entrepreneurship Center Ltd., May 2025]

Main Indicators

GDP EUR	5.685.571.124
Population	307.815
Men	151.800
Women	156.015
Age 0-14	44.451
Age 15+	263.364
GDP Per Capita EUR	18.507,19
Area Size km²	3.060

Gross Value Added by ActivitiesEUR

Infrastructure

Motorways km	134
Broadband Connections number and density	59.880 / 60%
Number of issued building permits	928

Investments

	Amount
Foreign Direct Investments million EUR	3.095

Foreign Direct Investment by Activitymil. EUR

Activity	Amount
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles	735,14
Financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding	687,74
Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations	269,78
Real estate activities	207,59
Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers	164,80
Other	1.029,63

Foreign Direct Investment by Countrymil. EUR

Country	Amount
Germany	858,68
Netherlands	385,23
United States	287,04
Italy	226,24
Bosnia & Herzegovina	204,27
Other	1.133,19

Gross Investment in new Fixed Assets, by Location of Investment Constructions and Types of Assets

Asset type	Amount (EUR, 000)
Buildings, spaces and structures	605.229
Machinery and equipment with fittings	221.624
Transport equipment	71.949
Cultivated biological resources	6.884
Intellectual property products	139.052
Total	1.074.159

Biggest Investors

Company	Activity	Website
Hrvatska kontrola zračne plovidbe d.o.o.	TRANSPORT AND STORAGE	http://www.crocontrol.hr
Bugatti Rimac d.o.o.	MANUFACTURING	http://www.rimac-automobili.com
Rimac Technology d.o.o.	MANUFACTURING	http://www.rimac-technology.com
Hospira Zagreb d.o.o.	MANUFACTURING	http://www.pfizer.com
FERO-TERM d.o.o.	WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE	http://www.fero-term.hr
LIDL HRVATSKA d.o.o. k.d.	WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE	http://www.lidl.hr
CITY ISLAND d.o.o.	REAL ESTATE ACTIVITIES	http://www.cityisland.hr
JABUKA LDC d.o.o.	TRANSPORTING AND STORAGE	http://-
TRADE AIR d.o.o.	TRANSPORTING AND STORAGE	http://www.trade-air.com
EUROSPIN HRVATSKA d.o.o.	WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE	http://www.eurospin.hr

Maximum Investment Incentives' Intensity according to the Investment Promotion Act

Large enterprises	Medium enterprises	Small and micro-enterprises
50%	60%	70%

International Trade

Export by Activity000 EUR

Import by Activity000 EUR

Export by Country000 EUR

Import by Country000 EUR

Education

Eduction level	Number of pupils
Kindergartens and Other Legal Entities Implementing Preschool Education Programmes	12.864
Basic Schools, Beginning of School Year	24.275
Upper Secondary Schools, Beginning of School Year	6.655
Students Enrolled on Professional and University Study, According to Place of Permanent Residence	7.485

Number of High School Studends Who Have Completed Their Education

Number of Students and Institutions by Educational Sectors

Educational Sector	Number of Institutions	Number of Students
Economics, trade and business administration	7	1.291
Electrical engineering and computing	8	1.156
Mechanical engineering, shipbuilding and metallurgy	9	960
Tourism and catering	4	567
Personal, security and other services	7	397
Transport and logistics	3	256
Agriculture, food and veterinary	3	57
Geology, mining, petroleum and chemical technology	1	43
Health and social work	1	19
Forestry, wood processing and wood processing	1	16

Students Who Graduated From University Study or Completed Professional Studys

Institutions of Higher Education and Graduated Students

Name	Students who graduated from or completed university or professional study
Polytechnic in Velika Gorica	324
College Ivanić-Grad, Ivanić Grad	21
University of Applied Sciences Baltazar, Zaprešić	465

Business Indicators of Enterprises

Activity	Number of Business Entities	Number of Persons Employed	Average Monthly Gross Earnings per Person in Paid Employment (EUR)
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	234	1.037	1.455
Mining and quarrying	15	1.053	2.108
Manufacturing	1.854	21.301	1.725
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	67	478	2.107
Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	51	1.512	1.646
Construction	2.431	9.988	1.396
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	2.560	18.942	1.727
Transportation and storage	736	10.571	1.687
Accommodation and food service activities	746	2.508	1.313
Information and communication	671	1.767	2.482
Financial and insurance activities	58	777	2.317
Real estate activities	264	278	1.698
Professional, scientific and technical activities	1.579	4.049	2.035
Administrative and support service activities	512	2.299	1.344
Public administration and defence, compulsory social security	287	7.349	2.364
Education	229	7.046	1.923
Human health and social work activities	267	3.313	2.183
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.409	782	1.729
Other service activities	2.848	1.111	1.361

Unemployed

	Rate
Unemployment Rate	4,10%

Unemployed by Activity

Activity	Number
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	79
Mining and quarrying	10
Manufacturing	696
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	6
Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	54
Construction	386
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	642
Transportation and storage	142
Accommodation and food service activities	302
Information and communication	101
Financial and insurance activities	47
Real estate activities	33
Professional, scientific and technical activities	180
Administrative and support service activities	284
Public administration and defence, compulsory social security	85
Education	232
Human health and social work activities	154
Arts, entertainment and recreation	47
Other service activities	228
Not classified	803
Total	4.511

Registered unemployed by occupation

Support Institutions Contacts

Name	Contact	Website
Zagreb County Entrepreneurship Center Ltd.	info@pczz.hr	https://www.pczz.hr/