Croats

For the 17th-century light cavalry, see Croats (military unit).

"Croatians" and "Croatian people" redirect here. For the more generic usage, see Croatians (demonym).

"Croat" redirects here. For the medieval Catalan currency, see Croat (coin). For the surname, see Croat (surname).

Croats
Hrvati

Total population
c. 7–8 million
Regions with significant populations
Croatia 3,550,000 (2021) Bosnia and Herzegovina 544,780 (2013)
United States	414,714 (2012)–1,200,000 (est.)
Germany	500,000 (2021)
Chile	400,000
Argentina	250,000
Austria	220,000
Australia	164,362 (2021)– 250,000 (est.)
Canada	130,280 (2021)– 250,000 (est.)
New Zealand	100,000
Switzerland	80,000 (2021)
Brazil	70,000
Italy	60,000
Slovenia	50,000 (est.)
Paraguay	41,502 (2023)
France	40,000 (est.)
Serbia	39,107 (2022)
Sweden	35,000 (est.)
Other countries (fewer than 30,000) Hungary 22,995 (2016) Ireland 20,000 - 50,000 (2019) Netherlands 10,000 Bolivia 10,000 South Africa 8,000 United Kingdom 6,992 Romania 4,842 (2021) Montenegro 6,021 (2011) Belgium 6,000 Peru 6,000 Colombia 5,800 (est.) Denmark 5,400 Norway 5,272 Uruguay 5,000 Venezuela 5,000 Ecuador 4,000 Slovakia 2,001–2,600 United Arab Emirates 2,500 Czech Republic 2,490 Luxembourg 2,000 Poland 1,656 Portugal 499 Russia 304
Europe	c. 5,200,000
North America	c. 600,000–2,500,000[a]
South America	c. 500,000–800,000
Other	c. 300,000–350,000
Languages
Croatian (Kajkavian Shtokavian Chakavian)
Religion
Christianity: Predominantly Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
Other South Slavs
a References:

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Croats (/ˈkroʊæts/; Croatian: Hrvati, pronounced [xr̩ʋǎːti]) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other neighboring countries in Central and Southeastern Europe. They share a common Croatian culture, ancestry, history, and speak the Croatian language. The ethnic group is predominantly Catholic.

Croats form a sizeable minority in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and Slovenia. Many emigrated from Europe and established a sizable diaspora in the aftermath of World War II for political, social, and economic reasons. Grassroots assistance from earlier communities and the Catholic Church allowed them to settle in the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand. 3.9 million people in Croatia identify themselves as Croats, constituting about 90.4% of the population. Another 553,000 live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they are one of the country's three constituent ethnic groups. This population is predominantly found in Western Herzegovina, Central Bosnia, and Bosnian Posavina. The Croat minority in Serbia numbers about 70,000 and mostly lives in Vojvodina. The ethnic Tarara people, indigenous to Te Tai Tokerau in New Zealand, are of mixed Croatian and Māori Ngāpuhi descent. Tarara Day is celebrated every 15 March to commemorate their "highly regarded place in present-day Māoridom".

The Croatian language is official in Croatia, the European Union, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croatian is a recognized minority language within Croatian autochthonous communities and minorities in Montenegro, Austria (Burgenland), Italy (Molise), Romania (Carașova, Lupac), and Serbia (Vojvodina).