Croatia after the euro changeover : summary.
Date: 2023-03-01
Institutions: Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs
Subjects: Croatia, consumer behaviour, consumer information, economic consequence, euro, euro area, monetary integration, national currency, paper money, sample survey

Flash Eurobarometer 518 

Croatia after the euro changeover 

Summary 

Fieldwork: 
16-19 January 2023 
Publication: 
February 2023 

Survey requested by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Economic and 
Financial Affairs and coordinated by the Directorate-General for Communication 

This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission.  
The interpretations and opinions contained in it are solely those of the authors. 

Flash Eurobarometer 518 – Ipsos European Public Affairs 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Flash Eurobarometer 518 

Croatia after the euro changeover 

Summary 

January 2023 

Survey conducted by Ipsos European Public Affairs at the request of the European Commission, 
Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN) 

Survey coordinated by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication  
(DG COMM “Media Monitoring and Eurobarometer” Unit) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Project title 

Linguistic version 
Catalogue number 
ISBN 

© European Union, 2023 

Flash Eurobarometer 518  Croatia after the euro 
changeover – January 2023 
Summary 
EN 
KC-04-23-098-EN-N 
978-92-76-99389-6 
doi:10.2765/842903 

https://europa.eu/eurobarometer 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Flash Eurobarometer 518 
Croatia after the euro changeover 

Table of contents 

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 

Section 1. Support for the euro ...................................................................................................................................................... 2 

Section 2. The Croatian changeover: general assessments ........................................................................................... 3 

Section 3. Personal experiences with the euro ...................................................................................................................... 4 

Section 4. Becoming familiar with euro pricing .................................................................................................................... 6 

Section 5. Concerns about the changeover ............................................................................................................................. 9 

Section 6. Information about the euro .................................................................................................................................... 11 

Technical specifications ................................................................................................................................................................... 13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Flash Eurobarometer 518 
Croatia after the euro changeover 

Introduction 

Croatia joined the euro area on 1 January 2023, making it the 20th EU Member State to adopt the 
euro as its currency. To help ease the transition for citizens, the old national currency, the Croatian 
kinas, remained in circulation for two weeks alongside the euro. After this period of two weeks, the 
kunas were no longer accepted as legal tender, and the euro became Croatia’s sole currency.  

This Flash Eurobarometer survey was conducted immediately after the end of the dual circulation 
period to examine the attitudes of Croatian citizens towards the new currency and the changeover 
process.  

On behalf of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG 
ECFIN), Ipsos European Public Affairs interviewed a representative sample of citizens, aged 15 and 
over, in Croatia. Between the 16 and 19 January 2023, 1 000 interviews were conducted over the 
telephone (landline and mobile phones). Survey data are weighted to known population proportions. 
A technical note on the methods applied to conduct the survey is appended as an annex to this report. 

Some results of this survey are compared with those from the last three countries that joined the 
euro area: Lithuania on 1 January 20151, Latvia on 1 January 20142 and Estonia on 1 January 20113. 
In  each  of  these  countries,  immediately  after  the  changeover,  DG  ECFIN  conducted  a  Flash 
Eurobarometer survey in order to measure citizens’ perceptions regarding the new currency and its 
implementation.  

Notes: 

1)  Survey results are subject to sampling tolerances meaning that not all apparent differences 
between groups may be statistically significant. Thus, only differences that are statistically 
significant (at the 5% level) – i.e. where it can be reasonably certain that they are unlikely to 
have occurred by chance – are highlighted in the text. 

2)  Percentages may not add up to 100%, as they are rounded to the nearest percent. Due to 
rounding, it may also happen that the percentages for separate response options shown in 
the charts do not exactly add up to the totals shown in charts and tables, or mentioned in the 
text. Response percentages will exceed 100% if the question allowed respondents to select 
multiple responses. 

3)  In this report, Croatia is referred to by its official abbreviation (HR). 

1 Flash Eurobarometer 412: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2005   
2 Flash Eurobarometer 393: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2000  
3 Flash Eurobarometer 309: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/952  

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Croatia after the euro changeover 

Section 1. Support for the euro 

Over half of respondents (54%) answer that having the euro is a good thing for Croatia, while 
less than four in ten (38%) think it is not. In addition, a vast majority of respondents (82%) think that 
having the euro is a good thing for the EU, while 10% think that having the euro is not a good 
thing for the EU.  

Q11  Generally speaking, do you think that…? (%) 

Yes

No

Can't decide (SPONTANEOUS)

Don’t know/No answer

Having the euro is a
good thing for the EU

Having the euro is a
good thing for your
country

82

10

4

5

54

38

5

3

Base: all respondents (n=1 000) 

Furthermore,  a  majority  of  respondents  think  that  joining  the  euro  area  will  have  positive 
consequences  for  Croatia  (16%  ‘very  positive  consequences’  and  41%  ‘rather  positive 
consequences’). A similar number reply that the euro’s introduction in Croatia will have ‘very positive’ 
(17%) or ‘rather positive’ (41%) consequences for them personally.  

Q12  Do you think the introduction of the euro will have positive or negative consequences…? (%) 

Very positive consequences

Rather positive consequences

Rather negative consequences

Very negative consequences

Don't know/No answer

For you personally

17

41

20

12

10

For Croatia

16

41

21

15

7

Base: all respondents (n=1 000) 

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Flash Eurobarometer 518 
Croatia after the euro changeover 

Section 2. The Croatian changeover: general assessments 

About  six in  ten  respondents  think  that the  changeover  to  the  euro  happened  smoothly  and 
efficiently, with  one in  six  (18%)  saying that it  was ‘very  smooth and  efficient’. About a  quarter 
(24%) reply that the changeover was rather not smooth and efficient and over one in ten (13%) that 
the changeover was not at all implemented correctly.  

Overall, the share  of respondents in Croatia  who reply that the  changeover to the  euro  happened 
smoothly and efficiently is lower than in other countries that experienced the same transition in the 
last years (from 79% in Latvia to 87% in Estonia). 

Q8 

Overall, did the changeover to the euro in your view happen smoothly and efficiently, or not? 
(%, by country) 

Very smoothly and efficiently

Rather smoothly and efficiently

Rather not smoothly and efficiently

Not at all implemented correctly

Don't know/No answer

Croatia

18

43

24

13

2

Lithuania

Latvia

Estonia

27

24

59

5

3

55

10

6

41

46

6

2

6

5

4

Base: all respondents (Croatia: n=1 000) 
Source: Flash Eurobarometers 309 (Estonia), 393 (Latvia), 412 (Lithuania), 518 (Croatia)4 

When asked whether they experienced any problems exchanging Croatian kunas or withdrawing euro 
cash  in  the  first  weeks  of  January,  a  vast  majority  of  respondents  (81%)  say  that  they  did  not 
experience any problems at all.  

4 Flash Eurobarometer 309: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/952 
Flash Eurobarometer 393: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2000 
Flash Eurobarometer 412: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2005 

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Croatia after the euro changeover 

Section 3. Personal experiences with the euro 

The majority of respondents find that euro coins are either ‘very easy’ (21%) or ‘rather easy’ 
(34%)  to  distinguish  and  manipulate.  Four  in  ten  respondents  (40%)  report  at  least  some 
difficulty when it comes to distinguishing and manipulating euro coins.  

The  share  of  respondents  in  Croatia  who  find  euro  coins  easy  to  distinguish  and  manipulate  is 
comparable  to  the  shares  observed  shortly  after  the  changeover  to  the  euro  in  Estonia  (48%), 
Lithuania (54%) and Latvia (57%).  

Q1_1  When you pay cash, would you say that it is: very easy, rather easy, rather difficult or very 

difficult to distinguish and to manipulate…? Euro coins (%, by country) 

Very easy
Rather difficult
Neither easy, nor difficult, normal

Rather easy
Very difficult
Don't know/No answer

Croatia

21

Lithuania

Latvia

19

17

34

35

40

27

3

3

25

7

10

2

4

31

5

4

3

Estonia

14

34

31

10

8

2

Base: all respondents (Croatia: n=1 000) 
Source: Flash Eurobarometers 309 (Estonia), 393 (Latvia), 412 (Lithuania), 518 (Croatia) 

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Croatia after the euro changeover 

Overall, respondents find euro banknotes easier to distinguish and manipulate than euro coins. About 
eight in ten respondents (81%) say that euro banknotes are ‘very easy’ or ‘rather easy’ to 
distinguish or manipulate, in contrast with 14% who state the opposite.  

In  Croatia,  45%  of  respondents  answer  that  it  is  ‘very  easy’  to  distinguish  and  manipulate  euro 
banknotes; this  figure is  higher than  the  ones observed in  Estonia (34%) as well as in Latvia  and 
Lithuania (both 33%). 

Q1_2  When you pay cash, would you say that it is: very easy, rather easy, rather difficult or very 

difficult to distinguish and to manipulate…? Euro banknotes (%, by country) 

Very easy
Rather difficult
Neither easy, nor difficult, normal

Rather easy
Very difficult
Don't know/No answer

Croatia

Lithuania

Latvia

Estonia

45

36

9

5

3

2

33

33

34

44

7

2

9

47

9

2

40

11

3

5

9

5

4

3

Base: all respondents (Croatia: n=1 000) 
Source: Flash Eurobarometers 309 (Estonia), 393 (Latvia), 412 (Lithuania), 518 (Croatia) 

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Croatia after the euro changeover 

Section 4. Becoming familiar with euro pricing 

Similar shares of respondents in Croatia say that when making common purchases, they most often 
use the euro (36%) or most often use the Croatian kunas (38%).  

Q2_2 

In which currency do you count or calculate most often when you make…? Common purchases 
such as day-to-day shopping (%, by country) 

Most often in euro

Most often in Croatian kunas

As often in euro as in Croatian kunas

Don't know/No answer

Croatia

Lithuania

Latvia

Estonia

36

39

41

38

35

33

25

1

22

23

4

3

1

28

48

23

Base: all respondents (Croatia: n=1 000) 
Source: Flash Eurobarometers 309 (Estonia), 393 (Latvia), 412 (Lithuania), 518 (Croatia) 

In comparison to day-to-day shopping, respondents in Croatia are more likely (43%) to be most often 
counting or calculating in euro when making exceptional purchases. This number is higher than 
those observed in other countries that joined the euro area in the past years (19%-31%). 

Q2_1 

In which currency do you count or calculate most often when you make…? Exceptional 
purchases such as the purchase of goods with greater value (%, by country) 

Most often in euro

Most often in Croatian kunas

As often in euro as in Croatian kunas

Don't know/No answer

Croatia

43

32

18

7

Lithuania

25

38

20

Latvia

31

37

20

17

12

Estonia

19

54

20

7

Base: all respondents (Croatia: n=1 000) 
Source: Flash Eurobarometers 309 (Estonia), 393 (Latvia), 412 (Lithuania), 518 (Croatia) 

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Flash Eurobarometer 518 
Croatia after the euro changeover 

Close to eight in ten respondents say that the conversion is either ‘very easy’ (40%) or 
‘rather easy' (38%). The share of respondents in Croatia who find the conversion to euro to be 
‘very easy’ (40%) is higher than the shares observed in the past in other countries (20%-24%). 

Q3_1  How easy or difficult is it for you to…? Convert from Croatian kunas to euro (%, by 

country) 

Very easy

Rather difficult

Rather easy

Very difficult

Neither easy, nor difficult, normal

Don't know/No answer

Croatia

40

38

16

3

2

Lithuania

24

51

13

2

7

Latvia

Estonia

22

20

46

21

2

4

42

22

7

7

1

3

5

2

Base: all respondents (Croatia: n=1 000) 
Source: Flash Eurobarometers 309 (Estonia), 393 (Latvia), 412 (Lithuania), 518 (Croatia) 

Somewhat more than seven in ten respondents say that it is easy to understand the value 
in  euro  (35%  say  that  it  is  ‘very  easy’  and  37%  that  it  is  ‘rather  easy’).  It  is  noted  again  that 
respondents in Croatia are more likely to select the ‘very easy’ response (35% vs 21% in Lithuania, 
and 18% in both Estonia and Latvia). 

Q3_2  How easy or difficult is it for you to…? Understand the value in euro (%, by country) 

Very easy

Rather difficult

Rather easy

Very difficult

Neither easy, nor difficult, normal

Don't know/No answer

Croatia

35

37

19

7

2

1

Lithuania

21

Latvia

Estonia

18

18

49

52

17

3

22

3

7

2

40

27

7

6

3

3

2

Base: all respondents (Croatia: n=1 000) 
Source: Flash Eurobarometers 309 (Estonia), 393 (Latvia), 412 (Lithuania), 518 (Croatia) 

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Flash Eurobarometer 518 
Croatia after the euro changeover 

Close to eight in ten respondents say that they find the dual displays of prices useful (48% 
find it ‘very useful’ and 30% ‘rather useful’). The total share of respondents finding the dual displays 
not useful is 21%. 

Q4 

Overall, do you find the dual displays of prices useful? (%) 

48% Very useful

30% Rather useful

11% Rather not useful

10% Not useful at all

1% Don’t know/No answer

Base: all respondents (n=1 000) 

Finally, about a third of respondents (34%) find that the dual displays of prices are ‘very 
often’ correctly implemented and about a quarter (26%) say that they are ‘often’ correctly 
implemented.  

Q10_3 During and after the changeover to the euro how often did you feel that... Dual displays of 
prices were implemented correctly (clearly identifiable displays, based on the 
conversion rate)? (%) 

34% Very often

26% Often

19% Sometimes

16% Not at all

6% Don’t know/No answer

Base: all respondents (n=1 000) 

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Flash Eurobarometer 518 
Croatia after the euro changeover 

Section 5. Concerns about the changeover 

Almost half of respondents find that price conversion to euro was either ‘very often’ (20%) 
or ‘often’ (24%) correct. About a third of respondents think the rounding of prices was ‘very 
often’ (15%) or ‘often’ (17%) correct. 

Q10_1 During and after the changeover to the euro how often did you feel that... Price conversion to 

euro was correct? (%) 

20% Very often

24% Often

26% Sometimes

26% Not at all

5% Don’t know/No answer

Base: all respondents (n=1 000) 

Q10_2 During and after the changeover to the euro how often did you feel that... Rounding of prices 

was correct? (%) 

15% Very often

17% Often

24% Sometimes

40% Not at all

4% Don’t know/No answer

Base: all respondents (n=1 000) 

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Flash Eurobarometer 518 
Croatia after the euro changeover 

In a context of high inflation in the euro area, over twice as many respondents think that the 
euro  will  increase  inflation  in  Croatia  (62%)  rather  than  help  maintain  price  stability 
(25%).  

The share of respondents thinking that the adoption of the euro will increase inflation is somewhat 
higher in Croatia than the shares observed in countries that joined the euro area before Croatia (55%-
58%). 

Q13  Do you think the euro will help to maintain price stability, or on the contrary, increase 

inflation? (%, by country) 

Will help maintain price stability

Will increase inflation

No impact (SPONTANEOUS)

Don't know/No answer

Croatia

Lithuania

Latvia

Estonia

25

26

19

21

62

3

58

4

57

4

55

7

10

12

20

18

Base: all respondents (Croatia: n=1 000) 
Source: Flash Eurobarometers 309 (Estonia), 393 (Latvia), 412 (Lithuania), 518 (Croatia) 

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Flash Eurobarometer 518 
Croatia after the euro changeover 

Section 6. Information about the euro 

Close  to  nine  in  ten  respondents  feel  either  ‘very  well  informed’  (35%)  or  ‘rather  well 
informed’  (53%)  about  the  euro.  In  contrast,  about  one  in  ten  respondents  feel  ‘not  very  well 
informed’ (8%) or ‘not at all well informed’ (3%). 

Q16 

To what extent do you feel informed about the euro? Do you feel… (%) 

35% Very well informed

53% Rather well informed

8% Not very well informed

3% Not at all well informed

1% Don’t know/No answer

Base: all respondents (n=1 000) 

When asked where they got information about the introduction of the euro, a vast majority 
of respondents (86%) reply that they received information from the media. Moreover, about one in 
five respondents (19%) received information from commercial banks.  

Close  to  six  in  ten  respondents  (58%)  say  that  television  was  the  most  efficient  source  of 
information. The second most-cited source of information is other internet sites (selected by 19% 
of  respondents).  All  other  sources  of  information  are  listed  by  less  than  one  in  ten  respondents, 
including family, friends and co-workers (7%), print media (4%), the radio (3%) and the internet site 
‘www.euro.hr’ (3%). 

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Flash Eurobarometer 518 
Croatia after the euro changeover 

Over  seven in  ten respondents  express their  satisfaction  with the information  received 
from the national authorities (18% ‘very satisfied’ and 54% ‘rather satisfied’), in contrast with 
25% saying  they  are not satisfied.  The share  of  respondents  being satisfied with the information 
provided by the national authorities appears to be lower in Croatia than was observed in Latvia (80%), 
Estonia (83%) and Lithuania (86%) after the changeover. 

Q18  How satisfied are you with the information provided by the national authorities regarding 

the euro? (%, by country) 

Very satisfied

Rather satisfied

Rather unsatisfied

Very unsatisfied

Don't know/No answer

Croatia

Lithuania

Latvia

Estonia

18

17

24

26

54

17

8

69

5

56

8

2

5

57

11

2

3

7

7

5

 Base: all respondents (Croatia: n=1 000) 
Source: Flash Eurobarometers 309 (Estonia), 393 (Latvia), 412 (Lithuania), 518 (Croatia) 

Finally,  respondents  were  asked  what  issues  about  the  euro  they  would  like  to  receive  more 
information  on.  The  two  most-mentioned  items  are  ‘the  social,  economic  or  political 
implications  of  the  euro’  (mentioned  by  27%  of  respondents)  and  ‘the  practical 
implications  of  the  euro  regarding  their  salary,  their  bank’  (24%).  Close  to  one  in  five 
respondents (18%) think it is important to receive more information about security features of the 
euro and 16% mention information about correct rounding.  

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Flash Eurobarometer 518 
Croatia after the euro changeover 

Technical specifications 

Between the 16 and 19 January 2022, Ipsos European Public affairs carried out Flash Eurobarometer 
518  at  the  request  of  the  European  Commission,  Directorate-General  for  Economic  and  Financial 
Affairs.  It  is  a  general  public  survey  coordinated  by  the  Directorate-General  for  Communication, 
“Media monitoring and Eurobarometer” Unit. Flash Eurobarometer 518 covers the population of EU 
citizens, residents in Croatia, and aged 15 years and over. 

In  total,  1 000  interviews  were  conducted.  All  interviews  were  carried  via  Computer-Assisted 
Telephone Interviewing (CATI).  Respondents  were  called both on landlines and  mobile  phones. The 
telephone numbers sampled and contacted were generated via Random Digit Dialling (RDD) methods. 
The  basic  sample  design  applied  is  a  random  (probability)  design.  In  households  contacted  via  a 
landline phone, the respondent was drawn at random from all household members (aged 15 years 
and over) following the "most recent birthday rule.” 

 Margin of error 
Survey results are subject to sampling tolerances. The “margin of error” quantifies uncertainty about 
(or confidence in) a survey result. Generally, the more interviews conducted (sample size), the smaller 
the margin of error. A sample of 1 000 will produce a margin of error of not more than 3.1 percentage 
points.  

Statistical margins due to sampling tolerances 
(at the 95% level of confidence) 

various sample sizes are in rows                     various observed results are in columns 

n=50 

n=100 

n=200 

n=500 

n=1000 

5% 

±6.0 

±4.3 

±3.0 

±1.9 

±1.4 

10% 

±8.3 

±5.9 

±4.2 

±2.6 

±1.9 

25% 

50% 

75% 

±12.0 

±13.9 

±12.0 

±8.5 

±6.0 

±3.8 

±2.7 

±9.8 

±6.9 

±4.4 

±3.1 

±8.5 

±6.0 

±3.8 

±2.7 

90% 

±8.3 

±5.9 

±4.2 

±2.6 

±1.9 

95% 

±6.0 

±4.3 

±3.0 

±1.9 

±1.4 

13