Basic Country Data:
Country ISO Code: HR
Official Language: Croatian
Language ISO Code: hr
Current Official Currency: Euro
Current Currency ISO Code: EUR
ISO Code: EUR
Singular Name: euro
Plural Name: euros
Monetary Subdivision: 1 euro = 100 cents
Subdivision Name Singular: cent
Subdivision Name Plural: cents
Initial Production Date: 1999 (electronic), 2002 (physical)
Initial Circulation Date: January 1, 2023
Final Production Date: ongoing
Final Circulation Date: currently in circulation
Mint: various European mints, including Hrvatska kovnica novca for national side coins
Issuing Bank: European Central Bank (ECB)
Coin Denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents; 1 and 2 euros
Banknote Denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 euros (500 euro note no longer issued since 2019)
Designs / Symbols:
Coins: common European side and Croatian national side featuring Croatian coat of arms and cultural symbols
Banknotes: European architectural motifs (bridges, doors, windows), no real persons depicted
Current Circulation Status: official currency, actively circulating since January 1, 2023
Economic Historical Context:
Croatia adopted the euro in 2023, replacing the kuna after nearly 29 years of circulation.
Adoption integrates Croatia into the Eurozone and the European Economic and Monetary Union.
Relevant Monetary Legislation: European Union treaties and ECB regulations
Issuing Authority: European Central Bank
Signatories on Banknotes: President and Vice-President of the ECB
Persons or Symbols Honored: Croatian national and cultural symbols, no real persons
Curiosities:
Hrvatska kovnica novca issues commemorative euro coins featuring Croatian motifs.
ISO Code: HRK
Singular Name: kuna
Plural Name: kune
Monetary Subdivision: 1 kuna = 100 lipa
Subdivision Name Singular: lipa
Subdivision Name Plural: lipe
Initial Production Date: 1994
Final Production Date: 2022
Initial Circulation Date: May 30, 1994
Final Circulation Date: December 31, 2022
Mint: Hrvatska kovnica novca
Issuing Bank: Croatian National Bank
Coin Denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 lipa; 1, 2, 5 kuna
Banknote Denominations: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 kuna
Designs / Symbols:
Coins: national symbols such as the Croatian coat of arms, local fauna and flora, and the word “kuna.”
Banknotes: portraits of Croatian historical figures and cultural elements.
Economic Historical Context:
Introduced after Croatia’s independence, replacing the Croatian dinar.
Stabilized the Croatian economy during the 1990s.
Replaced by the euro in 2023.
Current Circulation Status: out of circulation since January 1, 2023
Issuing Authority: Croatian National Bank
Curiosities:
Issued commemorative coins celebrating national and cultural events.
ISO Code: HRD
Singular Name: dinar
Plural Name: dinari
Monetary Subdivision: 1 dinar = 100 para
Subdivision Name Singular: para
Subdivision Name Plural: pare
Initial Production Date: 1991
Final Production Date: 1994
Initial Circulation Date: 1991
Final Circulation Date: 1994
Mint: various, including Hrvatska kovnica novca
Issuing Bank: Croatian National Bank
Coin Denominations: rarely minted
Banknote Denominations: 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000 dinari
Economic Historical Context:
Used during the transition period after Croatia’s independence.
High inflation and instability led to replacement by the kuna.
Current Circulation Status: out of circulation since 1994
Yugoslav dinar (YUD, YUM) circulated while Croatia was part of Yugoslavia (1918–1991).
Prior to that, Austro-Hungarian crowns, florins, and regional Croatian and Dalmatian currencies circulated.
This report provides a comprehensive financial history of Croatia, highlighting the transition from the kuna to the euro in 2023 and the currencies that circulated previously during transitional and historical periods.