What Languages Are Spoken In Croatia? (Answered!)

The official language in Croatia is none other than Croatian. 95% of the population speaks the language. Serbian, Bosnian and Montenegrin all take influence from Croatian. There are also minor languages spoken in Croatia. For example: Serbian, English, Italian, German, Hungarian, Slovak and Romani are all in use within Croatia.

The Zlatni Rat (the Golden Cape) is a beach forever changing by the wind. Therefore, two visits may mean very different experiences as the shape of the beach shifts.

The Golden Cape is one example of how Croatia is full of surprises.

If beaches are not your thing, Croatia has a rich history, fascinating national parks, fantastic food and sunshine! This article looks at the languages of Croatia- and a bit of Croatian history.

In This Article

What is the political language of Croatia?

A political language is put into place by the government or lawmakers. More often than not, the government use Croatian to make laws. People in Croatia expect to know the national language to understand laws and communicate with others.

The official and political language of Croatia is none other than Croatian. There is evidence of Croatian going as far back as the mid-18th century.

The history of the language connects to the history of Yugoslavia. In the 19th century, Serbian and Croatian were joined to create Yugoslavia.

in 1990, Croatia became independent, their language was essential to its journey to independence. Now, around 5.5 million people speak Croatian worldwide and it is the official language of Croatia.

How many languages are spoken in Croatia?

Some Croatians have minority languages which they still speak.

In Croatia, you will find around 124,000 Serbian speakers. Serbian is closely related to Croatian. The two languages are so connected that during the times of Yugoslavia, the languages were joined together.

Serbians living in Croatia are the main speakers of this language. Some schools teach Serbian.

Eventually, Croatia allowed Serbians to use their language as an official dialect in the areas they made up a third of the population.

Italian is also an recognised minority language in Croatia. Only 0.43% of Croatian citizens can speak Italian.

You are likely to find Italian speakers in Istria County.. 6% of the Istrian population can speak the language. Interestingly, Italian is considered a co-official language in this area.

Czech is worth a mention as a minority language in Croatia. Only around 6,000 Czech people live in Croatia; they use their language during official matters.

Are there any Croatian Dialects?

Yes, there are three main dialects spoken in Croatia.

Čakavian- people living on the Adriatic coast speak this dialect of Croatian.

Today, Čakavian is mainly only spoken within the Croatian borders. There are some speakers within Austria, Hungary and a few villages in Slovenia.

Kajkavian- the population living in the centre of Croatia speak this language. More specifically, the people of Gorski Kotar and northern Istria.

People still disagree whether this is a dialect or an entirely different language.

Stokavian- This dialect is known for its heavy influence on the Serbian language.

Stokavian is also the basis of Croatian, Bosnian and Montenegrin languages. It is interesting to see how these languages are connected through history yet they are all independent today.

Do people speak English in Croatia?

Yes, the average person in Croatia knows at least a little bit of English!

Recent studies have shown that 83% of Croatian people are multilingual. From the age of seven, Schools teach English to students as well as Italian and German.

By learning languages in school, 95% of Croatians aged 19-34 are bilingual. English is the most popular second language.

Croatia has become a key tourist destination in Europe. The magnificent sun and stunning views make it a great experience.

The tourism industry is booming, and the use of English is a crucial factor. However, you will only have to search for an English speaker in non-tourist areas.

To add, not only is this impressive, it makes you more confident about visiting the country. Having English speakers around is reassuring- especially if your Croatian isn’t up to scratch!

Is Croatian hard to learn?

In short, yes.

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) made a list of languages entirely different from English. For those wondering, Croatian is one of the most complex languages to learn. But, of course, that is if you are an English speaker.

The FSI estimate that it will take 1,100 hours of learning to be fluent in Croatian if you are an English speaker. One thousand one hundred hours is shy of 46 days.

Croatian was in the same category as Hindi, Russian, Urdu and Zulu. This category is for “hard” languages. Upon first glance, you may not put Croatian in this group of extremely complicated languages.

However, Croatian has significant differences in terms of linguistics and culture compared to English.

People learning Croatian find it hard to adjust to Gaj’s Latin alphabet. In addition, learners find reading and writing this Latin especially hard.

Along with the new alphabet, Croatian has three dialects. Even native Croatians struggle to understand their fellow citizens with different dialects!

If you want to learn Croatian, it will probably not be easy. But stick at it, and you will have mastered one of the world’s most challenging languages.

Croatia is a beautiful country with glistening water and jaw-dropping scenery.

The Croatian language tells a long history. Not only is the language significant in Croatia, but it also has deep roots in Yugoslavia’s history.

As such a complex language for English speakers, mastering Croatian is no mean feat.

Languages in Croatia all tell a story of how the country came to be independent.

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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