Annual financial statements of corporate income tax-paying entrepreneurs in Croatia, excluding financial institutions, for 2024 reveal clear trends and leaders in net profit generation.

A total of 162,135 entrepreneurs, employing 1,063,315 workers, achieved a consolidated net profit of an impressive 9.9 billion euros. Analysis of the annual financial statements by Fina, based on the National Classification of Activities (NKD 2007), shows that two sectors stood out dominantly as the main drivers of profitability. The data show that the main engines of success are the trade and manufacturing sectors, dominated by well-known names such as Lidl, Konzum, INA, and Pliva.

Trade at the top, followed by manufacturing industry

The activity area with by far the highest net profit is Wholesale and retail trade - repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, which achieved a net profit of 2.3 billion euros. This amount accounts for a significant 23.3% of the total net profit of all Croatian entrepreneurs.

Immediately behind, in second place, is Manufacturing industry with a net profit of 1.8 billion euros. Together, these two sectors generated a net profit of 4.1 billion euros, accounting for 41.8% of the total net profit of the entire Croatian economy in 2024. These entrepreneurs also employ 41.7% of the total number of workers in the observed group, or 443,321 workers.

In third place by profitability were Professional, scientific and technical activities, with a net profit of 1.1 billion euros. This is followed by the Information and communication sector with 886 million euros in net profit, while the top five is rounded out by Construction with 775.8 million euros.

Sector leaders: From retail to the oil industry

Within the most profitable sectors, certain entrepreneurs achieved exceptional results.

In Wholesale and retail trade, the most successful entrepreneur by profit for the period was LIDL HRVATSKA d.o.o. k.d. from Velika Gorica, whose profit amounted to 59.9 million euros. With an average monthly net salary of 1,634 euros for 3,119 employees, the company also stood out for the level of earnings in the sector. It was followed by KONZUM PLUS d.o.o. from Zagreb and PEVEX d.d. from Sesvete, with profits for the period of 51.1 million euros and 49.8 million euros, respectively.

In Manufacturing industry, the highest profit for the period was achieved by INA d.d. from Zagreb, amounting to 156.0 million euros, with an average net salary of 1,839 euros for 2,876 employees. Immediately behind it are PLIVA HRVATSKA d.o.o. with 131.0 million euros in profit for the period and KONČAR DISTRIBUTIVNI I SPECIJALNI TRANSFORMATORI d.d. with 107.0 million euros in profit for the period, both companies headquartered in Zagreb.

The data for 2024 clearly show that the Croatian economy is highly dependent on the stability and success of the trade and manufacturing sectors. Almost half of total net profit and employment is concentrated precisely in these two areas. Although the sectors of professional, scientific and technical activities and information and communication technologies are also highly profitable, the strength of core activities, such as trade and industry, is crucial for the country's overall financial result. The highlighted examples of the most successful entrepreneurs, such as Lidl, INA, and Pliva, confirm that large companies with an organized network and a strong market position remain the main generators of profit. Nevertheless, further diversification and strengthening of all sectors, especially those with high added value, remains an important goal for the long-term resilience and growth of the Croatian economy.