Three Years Later, Croatia Still Has Complicated Feelings About the Euro

May the 21st, 2026 – Three years have passed since the kuna was scrapped, and Croatia still has complicated feelings and a difficult relationship with the euro. On paper, Croatia’s glistening EU transition is totally complete. Accession in July 2013, followed by Schengen accession and the adoption of the euro on the very same date a decade later.

It was the first country to ever tick both boxes on the exact same date, and it was all a big song and dance for the powers that be. Not so, for the general population. Prices are now firmly displayed in euros, salaries are paid in euros, and Croatia is fully integrated into the Eurozone economy. The beloved kuna is now kept in memory boxes, in coin collections, on keychains and down the sides of sofas. In practice, discussion around the currency hasn’t disappeared, it has simply changed shape. The problematic euro is still emotionally and politically tied to one issue more than any other: the spiralling cost of living. For many, the introduction of the euro in 2023 still feels relatively recent. The kuna was not just a currency, it was part of everyday Croatian identity for decades. Because of that, price comparisons between “then and now” remain common in public discourse, even when not always economically accurate. A coffee, a grocery bill, or a restaurant meal is often unconsciously measured against what it “used to cost in kuna”, even years after conversion. That psychological comparison continues to shape how inflation is perceived. Croatia’s early euro period coincided with a broader European inflation cycle, which made the transition politically sensitive.

Key points

• It was the first country to ever tick both boxes on the exact same date, and it was all a big song and dance for the powers that be.
• Not so, for the general population.
• Prices are now firmly displayed in euros, salaries are paid in euros, and Croatia is fully integrated into the Eurozone economy.
• The beloved kuna is now kept in memory boxes, in coin collections, on keychains and down the sides of sofas.
• In practice, discussion around the currency hasn’t disappeared, it has simply changed shape.