Network Croatia
Qualitative market research agency in Croatia
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Croatia, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to shop-alongs and customer intercepts, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Croatia has a population of 3.84 million and a median age of 45.3, and 84.6 per cent of residents are online (DataReportal, Digital 2026). The country has two rhythms: Zagreb and the inland regions work to an office calendar, and the Adriatic coast works to the tourist season, when visitors outnumber residents several times over. A study in Croatia chooses its season and its region before it chooses its method.
AT A GLANCE
Croatia at a glance for researchers
- Population. 3.84 million people, median age 45.3, 59.4 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). About one in five residents lives in Zagreb. Split leads Dalmatia, Rijeka the northern coast and Osijek the eastern region of Slavonia, which has lost many working-age people to emigration since Croatia joined the European Union in 2013. Zagreb is the capital, in the north, four hours by motorway from Split.
- Languages. Croatian, in every session. Italian is official alongside it in parts of Istria, and English and German are common in tourism. Our moderators live in Croatia, and your team follows through simultaneous interpretation.
- Internet and mobile. Internet users number 3.25 million, or 84.6 per cent of the population, alongside 5.98 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Mobile data is faster than fixed lines, with a median download speed of 103.22 Mbps against 79.56 Mbps (same source). Social media counts 2.77 million user identities, 72.1 per cent of the population, and mobile connections stand at 156 per cent of the population.
- Where fieldwork happens. Zagreb first, then Split for Dalmatia, Rijeka for Istria and the northern coast, and Osijek for Slavonia. Islands and small towns are reached online, or in person outside the summer peak.
- Data protection. The GDPR applies, as in every member state of the European Union. Each participant agrees in advance to what is recorded and to its purpose.
- Timing. From June to September the coast is at work and hard to recruit, and Zagreb empties in August. 30 May, 22 June, 5 August, 15 August, 1 November and 18 November are public holidays. The best fieldwork months are March to May and October to November.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Croatia?
In Croatia, the coast in July and the coast in November are two different places. Shops, prices, opening hours and the people on the street change with the season, and many businesses in Dalmatia and Istria earn most of their income in four months. A study in Croatia says which season it describes.
- Season first. Fieldwork about everyday shopping is held outside the tourist peak, when residents have time and shops serve locals. A study about visitors is held in the peak, on the coast, with residents and visitors screened apart.
- Zagreb, coast and Slavonia. The capital is better paid, the coast lives from tourism and Slavonia is more rural and older. Each region is recruited by people who live there, and reported apart when the product is sold nationally. Istria, close to Italy and Slovenia, is added when the product is sold to both residents and visitors.
- Prices in euros, memories in kuna. Croatia adopted the euro on 1 January 2023. Price research shows current shelf prices, and asks what participants compare them with: last year, the old kuna price or a shop across the border in Slovenia or Italy.
- An older market. With a median age of 45.3, Croatia is one of the older countries we cover. Quotas are set by age on purpose, and sessions with older participants are held in person, in the daytime, close to home. Online sessions suit younger and working participants.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Croatia?
- We recruit through local partners in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka and Osijek, by region, age, income and category use. Participants receive a reminder call the day before, and quotas are agreed with you before recruitment starts. People who work in tourism are recruited outside the season.
- For business audiences, we approach each person directly and confirm their job before the interview is set. Those who take part in research as a habit are screened out of consumer groups. Owners of restaurants, rentals and shops on the coast are interviewed between October and April.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Croatia?
Most studies in Croatia run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with shop-alongs, customer intercepts or UX research when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Finance, health, tourism and B2B audiences, by video or in person | Booking hospitality owners between June and September |
| Focus groups | Concepts, food, drink and advertising in Zagreb and Split | Reading the country from one Zagreb group |
| Shop-alongs | Supermarkets, open-air markets and shopping centres | Coastal shops in summer, when the range and prices are set for visitors |
| Customer intercepts | Ferry ports, promenades, venues and shopping streets | A sample that mixes residents and visitors without a screener |
| UX research | Banking, retail and travel apps on the participant's own phone | Copy shared with Serbia or Slovenia without a local read |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Croatia
How much does market research cost in Croatia?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Croatia added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. A second and third region, and fieldwork on the islands, move the price more than extra sessions in Zagreb. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Croatia?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A Croatian polling company fits a national survey or a retail audit. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Croatia that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
When is the best time to run research in Croatia?
The best months for research in Croatia are March to May and October to November. In summer, people on the coast work long hours in tourism and many residents of Zagreb are away, so recruitment is slower and the shops are set up for visitors. A study about tourists is the exception, and belongs in the peak.
Is Zagreb enough for research in Croatia?
Zagreb gives a sound first read of better-paid city buyers. For a national decision in Croatia, add Split, because the coast earns and shops differently, and Osijek when rural and older households matter. Every city has recruiters of its own, who live there. Rijeka stands for the northern coast when the brief needs it.
Can one study cover Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia?
One study can cover Croatia and its neighbours, with one guide and one project manager. Each country is fielded in its own language by moderators who live there, because wording, prices, currencies and retailers differ. Croatia and Slovenia use the euro, Serbia the dinar. The report shows each country, then the comparison.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Croatia told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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