During 2025, 406,341 people with diabetes were registered in Croatia, according to data from the Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ). However, HZJZ warns that the actual number of people living with diabetes could be significantly higher than the recorded figure.
According to the 2025 report of the National Register of People with Diabetes CroDiab, detailed health data were received for 50,703 adult patients. In 27.24 per cent of monitored patients, a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) value higher than 7.5 per cent was recorded, which is classified by the register's criteria as poor disease regulation. Good regulation, with HbA1c lower than 6.5 per cent, was recorded in 34.65 per cent of monitored patients, while regulation was assessed as borderline satisfactory in 38.10 per cent. These are data from a group of patients for whom detailed indicators are available, not the results for all 406,341 registered individuals.
HbA1c reflects the average blood sugar level over the previous two to three months. Prolonged elevated HbA1c values increase the risk of complications, including kidney, eye and nerve damage, as well as heart and blood vessel diseases. Target HbA1c values in treatment are determined individually, depending on age, health status and other circumstances.
In the group of patients with available clinical indicators, the average body mass index is 30.25, and among monitored patients, 17.14 per cent were smokers. The average systolic blood pressure value was 132 mmHg. According to HZJZ, diabetes was the fourth leading cause of death in Croatia in 2024, with a share of 7.9 per cent.
According to estimates by the International Diabetes Federation, 28.5 per cent of people with diabetes in Croatia aged 20 to 79 have not been diagnosed. Including undetected cases, the total number of sufferers is estimated at more than 500,000. Type 2 diabetes can progress for years without pronounced symptoms, and the absence of symptoms does not mean a person does not have diabetes. Increased thirst, frequent urination, unusual fatigue, blurred vision, unexplained weight loss and slower wound healing may indicate diabetes.
People with excess body weight, insufficient physical activity, family members with the disease, and older individuals have a higher probability of developing type 2 diabetes. For type 2 diabetes, a balanced diet, regular physical activity and maintaining an appropriate body weight can help reduce the risk of developing the disease and in its treatment.
World Diabetes Day is marked on Saturday, 14 November. The World Health Organization has chosen the theme “Early action on diabetes” for 2026, and warns that more than 40 per cent of people living with diabetes worldwide have not been diagnosed.
