Croatia records the highest number of annual tourist overnight stays per 1,000 inhabitants in Europe, according to 2025 Eurostat data.
Key facts
- •Croatia recorded 24,465 overnight stays per 1,000 inhabitants in 2025.
- •Malta holds the second position with 20,091 stays per 1,000 residents.
- •Croatia first reached the top of this Eurostat ranking in 2016.
- •The metric compares annual overnight stays directly against the total population of each country.
- •Tourism growth in Croatia has been supported by increased connectivity and the popularity of filming locations.
Croatia has secured the top position in Europe for tourist overnight stays relative to its population size. Latest Eurostat figures for 2025 show that the country records 24,465 overnight stays for every 1,000 inhabitants. This metric highlights the intensity of tourism in smaller nations that attract high visitor volumes throughout the year.
By the numbers
European Tourism Intensity Rankings
Croatia leads the ranking, followed by Malta with 20,091 stays and Cyprus with 18,533 stays per 1,000 inhabitants. Other countries in the top ten include Greece, Austria, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Portugal. The data indicates that smaller European states often dominate this specific tourism intensity indicator.
Growth Factors and Impact
Croatia first overtook Cyprus and Malta in this ranking in 2016 following a decade of tourism growth. Contributing factors include improved connections to European markets, the global recognition of specific locations, and the popularity of filming sites for the series "Game of Thrones." The high volume of visitors causes the population of coastal towns to multiply significantly during the peak tourist season compared to the number of permanent residents.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Total Croatia News.
