Islam in Croatia: history and Muslim population data

History of Islam in Croatia

Islam entered Croatia when it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1526 after the Battle of Mohács. But Muslims lost control of it to the Austrian Empire in 1593 after the Battle of Sisak. Between 1868 and 1918 it formed a nominally autonomous kingdom of Croatia-Slovenia that included current Croatia without the Dalmatia region (coastal area) which was mostly controlled by Austria. It then joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which became Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. The Republic of Croatia gained its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and currently has an area of 56,594 sq km

Based on census data, the Muslim population in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slovenia increased from none in 1857, to 19 in 1869 to 73 in 1880 but decreased to 39 in 1890. In addition, Austrian census recorded several Muslims living in areas currently in Croatia but were outside Croatia-Slovenia Kingdom. These are four in the region of Istria in 1880, but none in the other censuses, while Muslim population in Dubrovnik was none in 1869, four in 1880, two in 1890 and nine in 1900. In the Croatian part that was under Hungary, twelve Muslims were recorded in 1869 (one in Vinkovci, five in Našice and six in Osijek), then none in 1880.

In 1910, the Muslim population increased to twenty in Croatian Silesia, seventy in Croatian Dalmatia and fourteen in Fiume district (Rijeka) which was under Hungary. This makes the total of Muslims in current lands occupied by Croatia 308 or 0.01% in 1910.

Accordingly, the Muslim population in current Croatia increased from 294 or 0.01% in 1910, 3,000 or 0.1% in 1921, to 4,750 or 0.1% in 1931, to 16,000 or 0.4% in 1953, to 21,000 or 0.5% in 1961, to 23,000 or 0.5% in 1971, to 30,000 or 0.7% in 1981, to 55,000 or 1.2% in 1991, to 57,000 or 1.3% in 2001, to 63,000 or 1.5% in 2011, to 51,000 or 1.4% in 2021. Thus, assuming that the percentage of Muslims will continue to increase by a fifth of a percentage point per decade; then the Muslim population is expected to remain less than 0.1 million throughout this century, comprising 2.3% of the total population by 2050 and 3.3% by 2100.

When inferring religious adherence from ethnicity in 1948, 1961, 1971 and 1981, the Muslims by nationality, Albanians and Yugoslav (1961 only) ethnicities were assumed Muslim. The distributions are as follows:

• 1948: 1,077 Muslims and 633 Albanians;
• 1961: 3,113 Muslims, 2,126 Albanians, and 16,964 Yugoslav;
• 1971: 18,457 Muslims and 4,175 Albanians;
• 1981: 23,740 Muslims and 6,006 Albanians.

The 2011 census included for the first time a mapping between ethnicity and religion. It indicated that Muslims comprised of 27,959 or 88.82% of ethnic Bosniacs, 9,647 or 0.25% of ethnic Croats, 9,647 or 54.78% of ethnic Albanians, 5,039 or 29.68% of ethnic Roma and 343 or 93.46% of ethnic Turks.

Historical Muslim population dataset for Croatia

The figures below are from the CoMPS historical dataset. Population values are expressed in thousands; 2100 is a modelled projection, not a present-day count.

For the full time series and visualisation, use the interactive map above.