The latest results from the PISA test, an international survey conducted by the OECD, show that 36 per cent of Croatian students do not reach the basic level of mathematical literacy. The tests measured the knowledge of 15-year-olds, specifically how much they could apply the knowledge and skills they had acquired in real-life situations. Only 5 per cent of Croatian students were able to solve the most complex mathematical problems, while 64 per cent reached at least the basic second level of mathematical literacy.
The results of the 2025 PISA, conducted in Croatia in spring 2025 and published in September, show a decline in outcomes across all three tested areas. Compared to the previous 2022 test, Croatian students achieved lower results in mathematics and reading, while results in science remained roughly the same. The largest decline was recorded in reading literacy.
The chief economist of the Croatian Employers' Federation (HUP), Hrvoje Stojić, notes that the poor test results are not only a problem for the education system but also for the future productivity, wages, and economic development of Croatia. The HUP therefore proposes extended primary education with a focus on mathematical and other basic literacy skills, with primary education becoming a priority for reform by employers.
Croatia allocates 5.1 per cent of GDP to education, compared to the EU average of 4.7 per cent of GDP, yet the educational outcomes remain below average. PISA analyses show that beyond a certain threshold, additional funding does not yield proportionally better results; the key issue is not the amount of investment, but the structure, quality of teaching, and efficiency of the system. Croatia has the fewest recommended teaching hours in Europe, as well as one of the lowest ratios of students to teachers.
The share of the 25 to 34-year-old population with tertiary education in Croatia is 45.6 per cent, compared to the EU average of 49 per cent and the average of the five best-performing EU members at 65.4 per cent. Croatia's productivity stands at 62.6 per cent of the EU average in terms of purchasing power, while the wage bill in the public sector amounts to 13.5 per cent of GDP.
The HUP advocates for the continuation of modular reform in vocational education and a stronger link between education and employers. It proposes that investments and wage growth in education be linked to better and measurable outcomes, as well as the expansion of vouchers and micro-credentials for lifelong learning, retraining, and employability, particularly for the digital and green transition and in sectors with labour shortages.
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