Croatian community profile
Information about the Croatian community in Victoria including where they live and when they arrived, languages spoken, English language proficiency, religions and significant dates.
On this page
- History
- Croatian community
- Insights for communication and engagement
- Location
- Croatia-born population
- Language
- English language proficiency
- Religion
- Years of arrival
- Names
- Significant dates
- Sources of information
These profiles are of Victorian communities, using the best available data we have from the 2021 Australian Census.
The Census defines ancestry as the cultural or ethnic group you most identify with.
We acknowledge that the profiles are not definitive. There are limitations and challenges in assigning ancestry or ethnicity to a specific ‘community’, especially as defined by geographical borders.
History
The Croatian community is an established community in Victoria. There have been four different waves of migration of Croatian–born people to Victoria.
The first group of Croatians arrived during gold rush era (1851–1871). Many Croatians settled and remained in Victoria when the gold rush ended.
The second wave happened after World War II, where many Croatians were considered ‘displaced persons’ and arrived from refugee camps. During this time, many Croatians settled in the fruit–growing districts of Victoria, especially around Mildura.
The third wave of migration happened in the 1960s and early 1970s. These Croatians migrated to Victoria to due to unemployment, difficult economic conditions, and the Croatian War of Independence from Yugoslavia.
The most recent wave of migration happened in the 1990s due to the conflict in Yugoslavia. Many Croatians arrived as refugees during this time.
While the migration of Croatians has slowed down since the early 2000s, Victoria is still home to the second–largest Croatian community in Australia.
Croatian community
The Croatian community in Victoria is second largest in Australia. There are 51,244 people in Victoria who have Croatian ancestry, of which 15,260 were born in Croatia.
The gender breakdown for the Croatian community is:
- male: 25,112 (49.0%)
- female: 26,132 (51.0%).
Most of the Croatian community is older, with the largest cohorts aged over 65 years (19.3%) and 45–54 (16.1%).
Insights for communication and engagement
The following are some key insights from the data when communicating and engaging with the Croatian community:
- The Croatian community is well established in Victoria with most of the population arriving between 1961 and 1980.
- The community has medium levels of English language proficiency and there many in the community who may require in–language information, resources or in-person support.
- Write in plain language. Use plain words, short sentences, headings, lists and other design elements to make information clear.
- Print and radio channels can be helpful for reaching many in the Croatian community in Victoria.
- For place–based activities, the north–western and south–western suburbs are where most of the community lives.
For more insights about communicating with multicultural audiences read the:
Better practice guide for multicultural communications PDF 3.35 MB (opens in a new window)
Location
Many people in the Croatian community live in Melbourne’s north–western and south–eastern suburbs.
The City of Brimbank is home to one of the largest Croatian communities in Victoria with 4,791 people. The City of Greater Geelong is next with 4,558 people.
These 10 local government areas have the largest Croatian communities.
| Local government area | Population |
|---|---|
| Brimbank | 4,791 |
| Greater Geelong | 4,558 |
| Melton | 3,124 |
| Casey | 2,993 |
| Moonee Valley | 2,270 |
| Whittlesea | 1,990 |
| Hume | 1,981 |
| Wyndham | 1,886 |
| Hobsons Bay | 1,583 |
| Merri–bek | 1,510 |
Croatia-born population
The following statistics focus on people living in Victoria who were born in Croatia. This will be referred to as the ‘Croatia–born population’.
Language
The top languages spoken by the Croatia–born population in Victoria are:
- Croatian (9,546)
- English (3,512)
- Serbian (1,231).
English language proficiency
The Croatia–born population in Victoria has medium levels of English language proficiency:
- 59.7% of the population say they speak English ‘very well’ or ‘well’.
- 16.3% of the population say they speak English ‘not well’ or ‘not at all’.
- 23% of the population speaks English only.
Religion
The Croatia–born population identify with the following religions:
- Catholicism (75.4%)
- Eastern Orthodox (6.9%)
- Christianity (3.6%)
- no religion (9%).
Years of arrival
There have been two main points of arrival for the Croatia–born population in Victoria. Most of the population arrived from 1961–1970 (24.6%), and 1971–1980 (15.2%).
| Year of arrival | Number of arrivals | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1951–1960 | 1,436 | 9.4 |
| 1961–1970 | 6,821 | 44.7 |
| 1971–1980 | 2,313 | 15.2 |
| 1981–1990 | 926 | 6.1 |
| 1991–2000 | 2,167 | 14.2 |
| 2001–2010 | 724 | 4.7 |
| 2011–2015 | 209 | 1.4 |
| 2016–2021 | 119 | 0.8 |
Names
Traditionally, Croatian names begin with family name, followed by the first name. However, many Croatian–born people adopt the standard Western naming style with the first name then followed by the family name. It is common for many Croatian surnames to have a suffice ‘–ić’. Family names are typically passed down the male line, with women who marry often taking their husband’s family name.
Significant dates
The Croatian community celebrates various cultural and religious holidays. These dates will vary depending on a person’s religion, heritage and identity. The following are some key dates of significance:
- Easter – Late March/Early April
- Assumption of Mary – 15 August
- All Saints Day – 1 November
- Epiphany – 6 January
- Anti–fascist Struggle Day – 22 June
- Victory Day/Day of Croatian Defenders – 5 August.
Sources of information
- Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census Country of birth QuickStats
- SBS Cultural Atlas
- Encyclopedia of Melbourne (School of Historical Studies at the University of Melbourne, in association with the University of Melbourne’s eScholarship Research Centre).
Updated 27 March 2024
About the VIC Government
- The Premier and ministers
- Find a Vic Gov department, agency or service
- Strategies and policies
- Inquiries and royal commissions
Grants and programs
Jobs and careers
Arts, culture and heritage
Business and the workplace
- Mentally Healthy Workplaces Framework
- Portable Long Service Authority
- Victoria’s racing industry
- Workforce Inspectorate Victoria
- Liquor licensing, sale and supply
Communities
- Children
- First Peoples - State Relations
- Finding records
- Gender equality & women’s leadership
- LGBTIQA+ equality
- Multicultural communities
- Seniors Online
- Veterans support and commemoration
- Volunteering in Victoria
- Youth Central
Education and training
- Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority
- Early childhood education – information for professionals
- Kinder: Best Start, Best Life
- Education – information for parents
- Schools.Vic - information for schools
- Education grants, programs, awards and events
- PROTECT
- TAFE, training and universities sector
- TAFE Victoria
- Victorian Skills Authority
- Apprenticeships Victoria
- Learn Local
Environment, water and energy
Finance and economy
Health and social support
- Family violence reform
- NDIS Worker Screening Check
- NDIS and disability services and support in Victoria
- Patient Review Panel
- Transforming Trauma Victoria
Housing and property
Law and justice
- Adoption
- Births, deaths and marriages
- Honorary justices
- Machete ban
- Safeguarding Victorians against terrorism
- Stolen Generations Reparations Package
- Victims of Crime
- Victorian Racing Tribunal
Safety and emergencies
- Emergency Recovery Victoria
- Victorian Emergency Relief and Recovery Foundation
- Emergency Recovery Resource Portal
- How well do you know fire
- Fire Services Reform
- Water safety
- Marine Search and Rescue
Science and technology
- Data sharing and open data
- Data.vic - discover and access Vic Gov open data
- Developer.Vic - portal for API developers
- Go.vic URL shortener
- Vic Gov IT project dashboard
- Victoria’s free public wi-fi network
- Cyber security in the Victorian Government
Sport and recreation
Traffic and transport
- Cameras Save Lives
- Transport Fines
- Getting Around
- Transport Planning
- Transport Future
- Climate Change and transport
- Future Directions For Transport
- Transport projects
- Ports and Freight
Working in the Victorian Government
- Single Digital Presence home
- Accommodation and Library Services
- Executive employment in the Victorian public sector
- Budget, procurement and funding
- Careers in the Victorian Government
- Council and Regulator Toolkit
- Guidelines for working in government
- Join a government network
- Standards and guidelines
- VicFleet CarPool
- Victorian Government style guide