Šibenik-Knin County is located between Zadar and Split-Dalmatia counties and covers a land area of 2,984 km2 of Croatian territory and a sea area of 2,686 km2 of the Croatian coastal sea, which is a total of 5,670 km2 (land and sea part), of which 52.62% falls on the land part, and 47.37% on the sea part.
Šibenik-Knin County includes 5 cities (Šibenik, Skradin, Vodice, Drniš i Knin) and 15 municipalities (Pirovac, Primošten, Rogoznica, Tisno, Tribunj, Bilice, Murter, Promina, Ružić, Unešić, Biskupija, Civljane, Ervenik, Kijevo i Kistanje), and the city of Šibenik presents the economic, cultural and administrative center of the county. 96,624 inhabitants live in Šibenik – knin county according to the first results of the 2021 census.
Šibenik – Knin County includes two national parks: Krka and Kornati. The “Krka” National Park is located entirely within the county and covers an area of 109 km2, which encompasses the course of the Krka River, and is known for its preserved natural, as well as cultural and historical heritage. For the Šibenik-Knin County, the Krka River has a special meaning, both because of its water supply and hydropower potential, and because of its natural and tourist attractiveness. The coastal and insular area is characterized by 259 islands, islets and rocks, and a special group is represented by the Kornati islands as the “denseest” island group in the European Mediterranean, which covers an area of 216.78 km². There are 89 islands, islets and rocks within the boundaries of the Kornati National Park.
Šibenik – Knin County includes three nature parks located in the county (Velebit, Lake Vrana and Dinara).
In addition to the above, in the area of Šibenik-Knin County there are six significant landscapes (Krka river-upper stream, Žutsko-Sitska island group, Water stream and canyon of Čikola river, Krka river-lower stream, Gvozdenovo-Kamenar and Kanal-Luka) and two monuments of nature (Stara straža and Cetina source). Also, there are 61 areas of the NATURA 2000 ecological network in the County.
Šibenik-Knin County is rich in tangible and intangible remains of a long history of settlement with 335 protected cultural assets. There are as many as 7 protected cultural assets (5 intangible and 2 tangible cultural assets) on the UNESCO’s list of world cultural heritage in county. A valuable cultural and touristic resource of the city of Šibenik is the fortification system of 4 fortresses: Barone, St. Mihovil, St. Nicholas and St. John, and significant county fortifications are the Knin fortress, which is the second largest military fortress in Europe, and the Gradina fortress in Drniš, which is still awaiting its reconstruction and valorization.
Šibenik-Knin County has an extremely important traffic position: it is connected to the coast by the Adriatic highway, by the highway to Knin and Bosnia and Herzegovina and to the interior of Croatia. Road and railway that is leading to Zagreb and Split is also very significant. In maritime traffic, the importance of the port of Šibenik should be emphasized. The main hub of maritime traffic is the port of Šibenik as a port open to public traffic of international importance. Apart from the main port of Šibenik, two ports of county importance, 23 ports of local importance and 19 ports of nautical tourism operate in the area of Šibenik-Knin County. The Šibenik-Knin County has a good air connection with Zagreb and the rest of the world via the “Split” airport in Kaštela (45 km) and the Zadar airport in Zemunik (50 km).
The development of the economy of the Šibenik – Knin County is focused on trade, tourism and construction, as well as on the processing industry as the most important branch of the economy, from which metal production makes a significant contribution to the economy of Šibenik. In addition to the leading aluminum industry in the county, there is a shipbuilding and building material industry, and larger capacities for finalizing products from mineral raw materials have been built.
According to the data of the Financial Agency in 2021, there were 2,763 companies in Šibenik-Knin County.
According to data from the Unified Register of Entrepreneurial Infrastructure (2022), there are six entrepreneurial support institutions operating in Šibenik-Knin County. The opening of economic zones in all cities in the county, and especially the economic zone “PODI”, which was declared an economic zone of county significance, enabled faster economic development and thus an increase in the number of employees. In addition to the Podi zone, more important business zones are located in the area of Drniš: the Drniš zone and the Radonić zone, in the area of the City of Skradin: the economic zone of Kos, in the area of the City of Knin: the business zone of Preparandija and in the area of the City of Vodice: the economic zone of Čista, which is adjacent to the Podi zone indicated by the spatial plan of the county as a zone of county significance.
The development of tourism is extremely important for the economy of Šibenik-Knin County. The tourist offer is still focused on the coastal belt, where over 5 million overnight stays are made annually and about 822,000 tourists stay. Investments in tourism capacities in the hinterland, which has great tourist potential, will certainly enable the development of new forms of rural tourism. Accommodation capacities in the area of Šibenik-Knin County are over 8,000 beds in hotels, over 40,000 beds in private accommodation, over 13,000 in campsites and more than 3,000 berths in 12 marinas.
Investments in wineries and the construction of oil mills intensified the planting of new vineyards and olive groves. The main wine-growing areas are Pirovac-Skradin-Šibenik, Knin, Drniš-Promina and Primošten. The already prepared “Irrigation Plan” Study will certainly give a new impetus to the development of traditional agricultural production (fruits, vegetables). In addition to the aforementioned agricultural products, Šibenik-Knin County has become recognizable for its production of prosciutto, cheese and shellfish.
[Source: Public institution Development Agency of Šibenik-Knin County, July 2022]
Main Indicators
GDP
EUR
|
1.022.974.000 |
Population
|
96.381 |
Men |
47.452 |
Women |
48.929 |
Age 0-14 |
12.279 |
Age 15+ |
84.102 |
GDP Per Capita
EUR
|
10.398,00 |
Area Size
km²
|
2.984 |
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics: GDP (2020), Population (2021), Area size (2021)
Gross Value Added by ActivitiesEUR
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, data for 2020
Infrastructure
Motorways
km
|
43 |
Broadband Connections
number and density
|
26.241 / 68% |
Number of issued building permits
|
234 |
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics: Motorways (2021), Building permits (2022), Croatian Regulatory Agency for Network Industries: Broadband Connections (2022)
Investments
|
Amount |
Foreign Direct Investments
million EUR
|
527 |
Source: Croatian National Bank, 1993 - 2022
Foreign Direct Investment by Activitymil. EUR
Activity |
Amount |
Proprietary investments in real estates
|
360,30 |
Manufacture of rubber and plastic products
|
72,40 |
Sports activities and entertainment and recreational activities
|
49,60 |
Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products
|
38,20 |
Accommodation
|
21,80 |
Other
|
-14,80 |
Source: Croatian National Bank, 1993 - 2022
Foreign Direct Investment by Countrymil. EUR
Country |
Amount |
Germany
|
114,20 |
Slovenia
|
64,30 |
Austria
|
63,40 |
Czechia
|
51,70 |
Hungary
|
38,40 |
Other
|
195,30 |
Source: Croatian National Bank, 1993 - 2022
Gross Investment in new Fixed Assets, by Location of Investment Constructions and Types of Assets
Asset type |
Amount (EUR, 000) |
Buildings, spaces and structures |
107.379 |
Machinery and equipment with fittings |
45.343 |
Transport equipment |
10.987 |
Cultivated biological resources |
1.393 |
Intellectual property products |
1.214 |
Total
|
168.113
|
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, data for 2021
Biggest Investors
Source: Financial Agency, data for 2022
Maximum Investment Incentives' Intensity according to the Investment Promotion Act
Large enterprises |
Medium enterprises |
Small and micro-enterprises |
40% |
50% |
60% |
Source: 2022-2027 Regional Aid Map for Croatia
International Trade
Export by Activity000 EUR
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, data for 2022
Import by Activity000 EUR
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, data for 2022
Export by Country000 EUR
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, data for 2022
Import by Country000 EUR
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, data for 2022
Education
Eduction level |
Number of pupils |
Kindergartens and Other Legal Entities Implementing Preschool Education Programmes
|
3.476 |
Basic Schools, Beginning of School Year
|
7.035 |
Upper Secondary Schools, Beginning of School Year
|
3.535 |
Students Enrolled on Professional and University Study, According to Place of Permanent Residence
|
2.737 |
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, data for 2022/2023
Number of High School Studends Who Have Completed Their Education
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, data for 2020/2021
Number of Students and Institutions by Educational Sectors
Educational Sector |
Number of Institutions |
Number of Students |
Economics, trade and business administration
|
5 |
422 |
Mechanical engineering, shipbuilding and metallurgy
|
3 |
400 |
Electrical engineering and computing
|
4 |
387 |
Tourism and catering
|
4 |
335 |
Health and social work
|
1 |
321 |
Transport and logistics
|
1 |
312 |
Personal, security and other services
|
2 |
146 |
Agriculture, food and veterinary
|
3 |
124 |
Construction and geodesy
|
1 |
83 |
Forestry, wood processing and wood processing
|
1 |
18 |
Source: Ministry of Science and Education, data for 2022/2023
Students Who Graduated From University Study or Completed Professional Studys
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, data for 2021
Institutions of Higher Education and Graduated Students
Name |
Students who graduated from or completed university or professional study |
Polytechnic Marko Marulić in Knin
|
62 |
Polytechnic in Šibenik
|
230 |
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, data for 2021
Business Indicators of Enterprises
Activity |
Number of Business Entities |
Number of Persons Employed |
Average Monthly Gross Earnings per Person in Paid Employment (EUR) |
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
|
190 |
136 |
1.014 |
Mining and quarrying
|
14 |
51 |
1.693 |
Manufacturing
|
489 |
3.265 |
1.191 |
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
|
50 |
368 |
1.598 |
Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
|
43 |
992 |
1.089 |
Construction
|
623 |
1.531 |
1.009 |
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
963 |
3.833 |
1.010 |
Transportation and storage
|
200 |
1.272 |
1.134 |
Accommodation and food service activities
|
749 |
1.792 |
1.179 |
Information and communication
|
108 |
208 |
1.504 |
Financial and insurance activities
|
10 |
448 |
1.442 |
Real estate activities
|
349 |
122 |
1.092 |
Professional, scientific and technical activities
|
399 |
561 |
1.302 |
Administrative and support service activities
|
501 |
737 |
1.086 |
Public administration and defence, compulsory social security
|
153 |
3.180 |
1.469 |
Education
|
89 |
2.786 |
1.340 |
Human health and social work activities
|
124 |
2.532 |
1.661 |
Arts, entertainment and recreation
|
714 |
1.176 |
1.224 |
Other service activities
|
1.206 |
407 |
1.077 |
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, data for 2022
Unemployed
|
Rate |
Unemployment Rate
|
12,80% |
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, data for 2022
Unemployed by Activity
Activity |
Number |
Agriculture, forestry and fishing |
94 |
Mining and quarrying |
6 |
Manufacturing |
307 |
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply |
3 |
Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities |
57 |
Construction |
226 |
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles |
537 |
Transportation and storage |
121 |
Accommodation and food service activities |
694 |
Information and communication |
29 |
Financial and insurance activities |
30 |
Real estate activities |
23 |
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
95 |
Administrative and support service activities |
169 |
Public administration and defence, compulsory social security |
383 |
Education |
106 |
Human health and social work activities |
142 |
Arts, entertainment and recreation |
115 |
Other service activities |
353 |
Not classified |
411 |
Total |
3.901 |
Source: Croatian Employment Service, data for 2022
Registered unemployed by occupation
Source: Croatian Employment Service, data for 2022
Support Institutions Contacts