Discover
The identity of the nation
Croatia is a country of about 3.9 million people in southeastern Europe, embracing the Adriatic Sea with over a thousand islands and a jagged coastline that has become a postcard image of the continent. Zagreb, the capital, in the continental interior, contrasts with coastal cities like Split and Dubrovnik, where the Roman and Venetian heritage still shapes streets and walls. It is a young nation as an independent state, but an ancient one as a people: Croats hold over a thousand years of identity tied to the Christian faith.
The predominant religion is Christianity, with a strong Roman Catholic majority. The Church played a central role in preserving the Croatian language, culture and nationhood through centuries of foreign rule. Even today, the Catholic faith is intertwined with Croatian identity, expressed more in festivals, patron saints and family traditions than in constant weekly practice.
Decades of communist rule in the former Yugoslavia left their mark: many live out a cultural, inherited faith, and disengagement from religion is advancing among the young in the cities. The evangelical presence is small, and historic Protestant communities are a minority. There is, therefore, wide room for the gospel to be known in a personal and living way, beyond the religious identity given at birth.
The war of independence in the 1990s left deep wounds that are still healing, especially in relations with neighbors and minority communities. Reconciliation, forgiveness and the healing of memories are real spiritual themes in this land. At the same time, joining the European Union and opening up to tourism brought prosperity and new challenges of attachment to material things and spiritual emptiness.
Croatia is a welcoming nation, proud of its history and landscape, with a hardworking and hospitable people. Praying for it means asking that inherited faith become living faith, that the church be renewed in depth and discipleship, and that Croats rediscover the God who sustained their people through the centuries.
- 7th century Croatian tribes migrate and settle in the Adriatic region.
- 9th century Croats adopt Western Christianity and establish their identity as a people.
- 925 Tomislav is crowned first king; the Kingdom of Croatia is born.
- 1102 The Croatian crown unites with the Kingdom of Hungary in a personal union.
- 15th-18th centuries Long wars against the Ottoman advance; Croatia is called the bulwark of Christendom.
- 1527 Much of the territory passes under Habsburg rule.
- 1918 After the First World War, it joins the kingdom that would become Yugoslavia.
- 1945 Under Tito's communist regime, it becomes one of the Yugoslav republics.
- 1991 Declares independence; the war of independence follows until 1995.
- 2013 Croatia joins the European Union.
- 2023 Adopts the euro and enters the Schengen area.
- Today A majority Catholic nation, with an inherited faith that lacks renewal and depth.
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Croatianofficial, a South Slavic language written in the Latin alphabet
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Englishwidely studied and spoken by young people and in the tourism sector
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Italian and Germancommon on the coast and among tourism professionals
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Serbian, Bosnian and othersspoken by minorities and neighboring communities
Croatia is shaped like an arc, running from the inland plains in the north and northeast down to the long, jagged Adriatic coast in the south. Between them rise the Dinaric mountains. Over a thousand islands dot the Dalmatian coastline, and nature parks such as Plitvice and Krka preserve lakes, waterfalls and forests.
Major cities
- ZagrebCapital and largest city, political and cultural center in the interior
- SplitLargest city on the coast, home to the Roman Diocletian's Palace
- RijekaMajor port in the northern Adriatic
- DubrovnikHistoric walled city, the jewel of tourism in Dalmatia
- OsijekMain center of the eastern Slavonia region
- ZadarAncient coastal city, known for its sea organ
Climate and temperature
Peka
Meat, seafood or vegetables slow-roasted under an iron lid covered with embers.
Pag cheese (Paški sir)
Cured sheep's milk cheese from the island of Pag, salted by the sea wind.
Ćevapi
Small grilled minced meat rolls, served with bread, onion and ajvar.
Štrukli
Thin dough filled with fresh cheese and cream, baked or boiled, typical of the Zagreb region.
Buzara
Mussels or shrimp sautéed in white wine, garlic and olive oil, a coastal dish.
Soparnik
Thin, crispy pie filled with Swiss chard, a specialty of Dalmatia.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
National pride
Independence won through sacrifice fuels a strong love for the homeland and the language.
Faith as identity
Being Croatian and being Catholic are intertwined in the culture, more as heritage than daily practice.
Life around coffee
Long gatherings in cafes are an essential part of social life.
Attachment to family and land
Strong family ties and emotional connection to one's home village or island.
Warm hospitality
Visitors are welcomed with abundant food and generosity, especially inland.
Sea and tradition
Coastal life, fishing and tourism shape the rhythm of much of the country.
- Treating the country carelessly as just part of the Balkans Many Croats see themselves as Central European and Mediterranean, not simply Balkan.
- Comparing it to Serbia or mixing up identities The wounds of the war are still sensitive; avoid confusing peoples and flags.
- Reducing faith to folklore Religion is a serious part of identity; treat it with respect even where practice is cultural.
- Speaking lightly of the war of independence It is a painful, recent memory for many families.
- Assuming it is all beaches The interior, the history and the urban culture matter as much as the coast.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Many call themselves Catholic by tradition, without a personal, living relationship with Christ.
Among young people in the cities, religious indifference is advancing quickly.
Memories of conflict fuel resentment and make reconciliation difficult.
Love for the homeland can harden into rejection of foreigners and those who are different.
The prosperity of tourism and the EU shifts focus from the eternal to consumption.
Emigration empties villages and weakens local families and churches.
Evangelical communities are viewed with suspicion, as a threat to identity.
Tensions with Serbian and other minorities hinder unity and forgiveness.
Rites and festivals replace spiritual growth and knowledge of Scripture.
Decades of state atheism left generations distant from a deep faith.
Croatia offers wide religious freedom, and Christians live out and practice their faith without significant hostility. The country has a Catholic majority, and Christianity is protected by law and rooted in the culture. Because of this, pressure on Christians is considered low.
The challenges to a living faith come not from persecution but from the spiritual climate: an inherited and often lukewarm religiosity, growing disengagement from religion among young people, and suspicion toward minority Christian expressions, seen by some as a threat to national identity. Small evangelical communities may face social prejudice, but not systematic violence.
Prayer here turns less toward the protection of Christians and more toward spiritual awakening: that traditional faith gain depth, that the gospel be known in a personal way, and that the church live in unity and reconciliation in a land still marked by old wounds.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Croatia is a majority Christian and relatively homogeneous nation, but there are still groups little reached by a living gospel, especially minorities and communities linked to other traditions. More than a lack of access, the challenge is inherited faith that needs to become personal. There are also minority languages without the Scriptures fully available and communities that live on the margins of the Croatian church.
- 31K Unreached 0,8%
- 20K Minimally reached 0,5%
- 3.7M Superficially reached 97,4%
- 47K Partially reached 1,2%
- 0 Significantly reached 0%
- 3 Unreached 17,6%
- 2 Minimally reached 11,8%
- 11 Superficially reached 64,7%
- 1 Partially reached 5,9%
- 0 Significantly reached 0%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Bosniak Frontier
Judeu de Fala Croata
Albanian
Deaf Frontier
Cigano sinte
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
lower than Western Europe, rising since the adoption of the euro
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Learn a few words in Croatian: the effort is highly valued, though English is common among young people.
- The currency is the euro since 2023; cards are accepted almost everywhere.
- Handle history and the war with sensitivity: they are living, painful topics for many families.
- Respect the local Catholic faith, even where practice is more cultural than personal.
- On the coast, plan around peak season: summer gets crowded and expensive, from transport to lodging.
- The interior and the east reveal an authentic Croatia, far from the tourist beaches.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.