Croatian

A language of Croatia

Serbo-Croatian

Autonym

Hrvatski

User Population

4,100,000 in Croatia (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 6,765,010 (as L1: 5,505,010; as L2: 1,260,000).

Language Maps

Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia

Hungary

Serbia

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1990, Constitution, Article 12.1).

Classification

Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Western

Dialects

Kaykavski, Shtokavski (Ijekavski). Shtokavski is official dialect, but others recognized as valid, with much literature. Kaykavski in northeastern Croatia and Zagreb; dialects in other countries. A member of macrolanguage Serbo-Croatian [hbs].

Typology

SVO; prepositions; noun head final; gender (masculine/feminine/neuter); no articles; case-marking (7 cases); verb affixes mark person, number; passives; tense and aspect; causatives; comparatives; 25 consonants, 5 vowels, 2 diphthongs; tonal (4 tones), stress is connected with tone.

Language Use

Many also use English [eng]. Some also use Standard German [deu].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 90%. Taught in all primary and secondary schools. Taught in all tertiary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1831–1999.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Croatian

Writing

Braille script [Brai]. Latin script [Latn], primary usage.

Other Comments

Formerly considered part of Serbo-Croatian [hbs]. Christian.

Also spoken in:

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Argentina

Language NameCroatian

User Population

4,200 in Argentina (2018), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Australia

Language NameCroatian

User Population

56,900 in Australia (2016 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Austria

Language NameCroatian

User Population

109,000 in Austria (2017 World Factbook).

Location

Burgenland, Lower Austria and Vienna states.

Alternate Names

Hrvatski, Serbo-Croatian

Language Status

6b (Threatened). Recognized language (1955, Treaty of Vienna).

Language Use

Rapid assimilation with the German-speaking population. Speakers’ competence varies by area and age group (Salminen 2007). Some young people, all adults. Most also use Standard German [deu], with many young people speaking it as their L1.

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: Low. About 40 primary schools teach bilingually through Croatian and German.

Other Comments

Chakavian [ckm], closely related to Croatian, is spoken in Burgenland. Some dialects of Croatian are heavily influenced by German [deu]. Christian.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

Language NameCroatian

User Population

554,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016 World Factbook).

Alternate Names

Hrvatski, Serbo-Croatian

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1995, Federation Constitution, Article 6(1)).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Canada

Language NameCroatian

User Population

48,200 in Canada (2016 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Czechia

Language NameCroatian

User Population

1,390 in Czechia (2011 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Denmark

Language NameCroatian

User Population

2,380 in Denmark (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Germany

Language NameCroatian

User Population

427,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Hungary

Language NameCroatian

User Population

13,700 in Hungary (2011 census). Ethnic population: 23,600 (2011 census).

Location

Bács-Kiskun, Baranya, Pest, Somogy, and Zala counties.

Alternate Names

Hrvatski, Serbo-Croatian

Language Status

4 (Educational). Recognized language (1993, Minorities Act No. LXXVII).

Language Development

Taught as subject in primary and secondary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Christian.

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Italy

Language NameCroatian

User Population

13,300 in Italy (2012 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Montenegro

Language NameCroatian

User Population

3,010 in Montenegro (2011 census).

Location

Kotor and Tivat municipalities.

Alternate Names

Hrvatski, Serbo-Croatian

Language Status

5* (Dispersed). Recognized language (2006, Minority Rights Law, No. 31-06, Article 2).

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North Macedonia

Language NameCroatian

User Population

2,700 in North Macedonia (Leclerc 2018b).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Norway

Language NameCroatian

User Population

6,320 in Norway (2021 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Romania

Language NameCroatian

User Population

5,170 in Romania (2011 census). Ethnic population: 5,410 (2011 census).

Location

Caras-Severin and Timis counties: dispersed.

Language Status

5* (Dispersed). Recognized language (2007, Law No. 282, Ratification, European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Serbia

Language NameCroatian

User Population

19,200 in Serbia (2013 UNSD).

Location

North Backa district: Bela Crkva municipality.

Alternate Names

Hrvatski, Serbo-Croatian

Language Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Autonomous Province Vojvodina (2009, Autonomous Province Vojvodina Statute, Article 26).

Language Development

Taught in primary schools, in minority-language schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Slovenia

Language NameCroatian

User Population

1,332,300 in Slovenia, all users. L1 users: 72,300 in Slovenia (2003 UNSD). L2 users: 1,260,000 (European Commission 2012).

Location

Widespread.

Alternate Names

Hrvatski, Serbo-Croatian

Language Status

5* (Dispersed). Recognized language (2000, Slovenian Ratification, ECRML).

Language Use

Used as L2 by Slovene [slv], Venetian [vec].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Spain

Language NameCroatian

User Population

2,840 in Spain (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Sweden

Language NameCroatian

User Population

10,400 in Sweden (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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United States

Language NameCroatian

User Population

53,000 in United States (2015 census).

Location

Scattered.

Dialects

Croatian.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Language Use

Most shifted to English [eng].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of United States

Croatian

Primary tabs

A language of Croatia

Also spoken in:

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