
The demand for help with daily activities – so-called long-term care – is set to increase
in Croatia. The population is ageing at a faster rate than the EU average, and by
2050, about one-third of the population is projected to be aged 65 years and over.
In addition, with one of the highest poverty rates among older people in EU countries,
at 30%, most older people cannot afford long-term care without public support. However,
the long-term care system is both fragmented, with multiple benefits and services
across different providers, and underfunded with public expenditure among the lowest
across EU countries. As a result, long-term care remains unaffordable for most people
even after receiving public support, leading to gaps in access, inequities, and a
strong reliance on relatives to provide the bulk of long-term care. This report suggests
avenues to improve access and equity of long-term care and proposes policy recommendations
to enhance the support for family carers.