Croats

The Croats (/ˈkroʊæts/)[47] Croatian: Hrvati [xr̩ʋǎːti]) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.

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Croats
Hrvati

Croatian couple in festive dress, c. 1913
Total population
c. 7–8 million[1]
Regions with significant populations
Croatia 3,550,000 (2021)[2]  Bosnia and Herzegovina 544,780 (2013)[3]
United States	414,714 (2012)[4]–1,200,000 (est.)[5]
Germany	500,000 (2021)[6][7]
Chile	380,000[8]
Argentina	250,000[9]
Austria	221,719 (2020)[10]
Australia	164,362 (2021)[11]
Canada	133,965 (2016)[12]
New Zealand	100,000[13]
Switzerland	80,000 (2021)[14]
Brazil	70,000[9]
Italy	60,000[15]
Serbia	57,900 (2011)[16]
Slovenia	40,000 (est.)[17]
France	40,000 (est.)[18]
Sweden	35,000 (est.)[19]
Other countries (fewer than 30,000)  Hungary 22,995 (2016)[20]  Ireland 20,000 – 100,000 (est.)[21]  Netherlands 10,000[22]  South Africa 8,000[23]  United Kingdom 6,992[24]  Romania 6,786[25]  Montenegro 6,021 (2020)[26]  Peru 6,000[9]  Colombia 5,800 (est.)[9][27]  Denmark 5,400[28]  Norway 5,272[29]  Paraguay 5,000[9][30]  Ecuador 4,000[31]  Slovakia 2,001[32][33]-2,600[34]  Czech Republic 2,490[35]  Portugal 499[36]  Russia 304[37]
Europe	c. 5,200,000
North America	c. 600,000–2,500,000[a]
South America	c. 500,000–800,000
Other	c. 300,000–350,000
Languages
Croatian (Shtokavian Chakavian Kajkavian)
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholicism[38]
Related ethnic groups
Other South Slavs[39]
a References:[40][41][42][43][44][45][46]

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Croats
Recognized Croatia Bosnia and Herzegovina Serbia Kosovo Austria Italy Montenegro Romania Slovakia Hungary Czech Republic
Diaspora Europe Belgium Germany Macedonia Sweden Slovakia Slovenia Switzerland North America United States Canada Mexico South America Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Peru Venezuela Oceania Australia New Zealand
Subgroups Bunjevci Šokci Burgenland Croats Janjevci Molise Croats Krašovani
Culture Literature Music Art Cinema Cuisine Dress Sport
History History of Croatia Origins Rulers
Language Croatian Chakavian Shtokavian Kajkavian Burgenland Molise
Related nations South Slavs
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Due to political, social and economic reasons, many Croats migrated to North and South America as well as New Zealand and later Australia, establishing a diaspora in the aftermath of World War II, with grassroots assistance from earlier communities and the Roman Catholic Church.[48][49] In Croatia (the nation state), 3.9 million people identify themselves as Croats, and constitute about 90.4% of the population. Another 553,000 live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they are one of the three constituent ethnic groups, predominantly living in Western Herzegovina, Central Bosnia and Bosnian Posavina. The minority in Serbia number about 70,000, mostly in Vojvodina.[50][51] The ethnic Tarara people, indigenous to Te Tai Tokerau in New Zealand, are of mixed Croatian and Māori (predominately Ngāpuhi) descent. Tarara Day is celebrated every 15 March to commemorate their "highly regarded place in present-day Māoridom".[52][53]

Croats are mostly Roman Catholics. The Croatian language is official in Croatia, the European Union[54] and Bosnia and Herzegovina.[55] Croatian is a recognised minority language within Croatian autochthonous communities and minorities in Montenegro, Austria (Burgenland), Italy (Molise), Romania (Carașova, Lupac) and Serbia (Vojvodina).