18 PERSPECTIVES ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS | VOL 44 | 2026 Introduction Croatia’s elderly population faces a deepening care crisis, especially in rural communities. The absence of long-term care (LTC) services and adequate medical personnel leaves this population increasingly vulnerable. Gaps in national health-care infrastructure, staffing, and accessibility threaten the well-being of those in rural communities, in particular older adults, and underscore the urgent need for reforms. Over 23% of the population is aged 65 or older, with 38% of this demographic living in rural areas (OECD, 2023b). Physician shortages and unevenly distributed healthcare facilities in rural regions pose significant public health challenges (Nikodem et al., 2022). Although 63% of the population reports being in good health, this percentage falls short of the EU average, 68% (OECD, 2023a). High rates of obesity, alcohol, and tobacco consumption contribute to a growing burden of chronic disease, straining the health-care system as the population ages. Rural areas face additional barriers, including few rural medical training facilities and lower salaries, discouraging newly qualified professionals from practicing outside major cities. Without sufficient healthcare workers, medical offices, and LTC facilities, pressure will continue on familial caregivers, leaving unmet concerns among the rural elderly population. Rural aging population and care needs The demographic landscape of Croatia is shifting as the population aged 65 and above is projected to increase from 23% to 31% by 2050. An aging population experiences a higher prevalence of chronic conditions, placing greater demand on medical care and in-home support. Multiple chronic conditions affect 58% of Croatian women and 36% of Croatian men 65 and older—both figures above EU averages (OECD, 2023a). Contributing factors are tobacco usage (22% of adults), heavy alcohol consumption (17%), and obesity (22%). Poor dietary habits may contribute to the nation’s high prevalence of diabetes, accounting for approximately 22% of deaths. High rates of chronic disease among the elderly highlight the urgency for lowering barriers to healthcare access. The challenge of geriatric care is even more severe in rural areas, where the concentration of older residents is higher. Croatia currently has a total of 683 facilities, 626 of which are private (their distribution between rural and urban areas is not documented). As of 2023, there are only 550 nursing home and LTC facility beds per 100,000 inhabitants, including both private and public facilities, compared to Sweden’s 1300 and Germany’s 1200 (Eurostat, 2025). Due to the limited number of beds and facilities, only 3.68% of the elderly population can utilize public LTC facilities (Umirovljenci zajedno - Politička platforma, 2024). Limited public LTC infrastructure, combined with the high cost of private nursing homes, makes poverty a compounding factor limiting access. In remote areas, such as Pannonia and parts of Adriatic Croatia, at-risk-of-poverty rates and social exclusion indicators are significantly higher than in cities. In 2024, 37% of older individuals were at risk of poverty (Croatian Bureau of Statistics, 2025). Although government subsidies for home assistance reach roughly 89% of individuals requiring LTC, they account for only 23% of the overall cost. Even with government support, private LTC is extremely expensive, and people with severe conditions who would do best in Rural Croatia’s geriatric care gap Laila S. Dages The geriatric population in rural Croatia faces a worsening health-care crisis. The increasingly aging population struggles to receive the adequate care they need to remain healthy. This article analyzes barriers to care including workforce emigration, inadequate training, uneven facility distribution, and insufficient funding. Possible solutions are proposed to improve health-care access, reduce caregiver burden, and enhance health outcomes for the elderly. Croatia must expand its network by collaborating with international health-care personnel and reassess funding allocations to provide care to older citizens in rural areas. doi:10.18275/pbe-v044-004
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0OTQ5OA==