1.1. Contact organisation
[HR5] Croatian Institute of Public Health (CIPH)
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Division of Public Health
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Rockefeller St. 7, Zagreb, Croatia
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
15 June 2026
2.2. Metadata last posted
14 July 2026
2.3. Metadata last update
11 June 2026
3.1. Data description
Statistics on healthcare non-expenditure provides information on healthcare human resources, healthcare facilities, and healthcare utilisation:
- People active in the healthcare sector (doctors, dentists, nurses, etc.) and their status (graduates, practising, migration of doctors and nurses, etc.);
- The available healthcare technical resources and facilities (hospital beds, beds in residential care facilities, medical technology, etc.);
- The health activities or patient contacts undertaken (hospital discharges, surgical procedures, ambulatory care data, etc.).
Annual national and regional data are provided in absolute numbers or as a rate of a relevant population.
Data are based mainly on administrative records (see section 18.1 ‘Source data’ for more information).
3.2. Classification system
For the collection of data on healthcare non- expenditure, the classifications used in the System of Health Accounts (SHA) and its related set of International Classification for the Health Accounts are applied.
For hospital discharges, the International Shortlist for Hospital Morbidity Tabulation (ISHMT) is used.
For Health Employment, the Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications apply.
Definitions of mandatory variables are laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2294.
Where possible, the statistics are separated by sex (male/female), age group and NUTS2 region.
The Eurostat manual on healthcare non-expenditure statistics provides an overview of the classifications, both for mandatory variables and variables provided on voluntary basis.
National deviations: see Annex at the bottom of the page.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Data submitted aims to cover all areas of the National health care system (public and private health care).
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The healthcare non-expenditure statistics describe the public health sector from a non-monetary perspective. The statistics explain the number or rate of different healthcare resources, facilities and utilisation. A wide range of indicators are collected from a multitude of sources and therefore, details pertaining to individual variables are given in the Annex.
Definitions of mandatory variables are laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2294.
The Eurostat manual on healthcare non-expenditure statistics provides an overview of the classifications, both for mandatory variables and variables provided on voluntary basis.
National changes of statistical concepts and national definitions deviating from Regulation (EU) 2022/2294: see Annex at the bottom of the page.
3.5. Statistical unit
Registered health professionals or health care facility categories.
3.6. Statistical population
- All health care staff.
- All available beds or equipment in hospitals or in nursing and residential care facilities.
- All discharges or procedures performed in all hospitals.
3.7. Reference area
Complete national territory
3.8. Coverage - Time
According to the Regulation, reference year for the first mandatory transmission, for selected variables, is 2021. Data for previous years, subject to gentleman's agreement, was provided depending on the availability of sources, most from 2009 onwards. Last available year is 2024.
In detail, data are available:
Consultations - since 2017
Immunisation - since 2000
Screening: breast cancer screening - since 2006, CRC since 2012
Annual visits to hospital emergency departments - since 2013
Hospital aggregates - since 1999
Exams and procedures - since 2012
Health employment - mostly since 1980
Stock of doctors and nurses - since 2017
Hospital beds regional - since 1993
Hospital technical resources - since 2012
Hospitals - since 1980
Hospital beds by function and sector - since 1993
Intensive care unit beds and use - since 2015
Beds in residential LTC facilities - since 2003
Medical technology - since 2008
3.9. Base period
Not applicable
Absolute number at the end of reference period.
Rate of phenomenon per reference population.
Calendar year - for majority of variables
Influenza season - for variable Immunisation against influenza
Screening programme cycle - for screening programmes
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Regulation on Community statistics on public health and health and safety at work (EC) No 1338/2008
EUROSTAT Gentlemen’s agreement
Law on Official Statistics (Official Gazette 25/20) Law on Official Statistics
Program of statistical activities of the Republic of Croatia 2021 - 2027 (Official Gazette 29/22) Program of statistical activities of the Republic of Croatia 2021 - 2027
Annual Implementation Plan of Statistical Activities of the Republic of Croatia 2024 (Official Gazette 29/25) Annual Implementation Plan of Statistical Activities of the Republic of Croatia 2024
Law on Health Care (Official Gazette 100/18, 125/19, 147/20, 119/22, 156/22, 33/23, 36/24, 102/25) Law on Health Care
Law on Data and Information in Healthcare (Official Gazette 14/19) Law on Data and Information in Healthcare
Ordinance on the method of processing health and other personal data in national and institutional health information systems in healthcare, the method of storing and protecting health data and creating health indicators, standardized forms and registers and records in healthcare (150/24) Ordinance
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Joint Questionnaire on Non-Monetary Health Care Statistics, which is carried out by Eurostat, OECD and WHO-Europe.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The Official Statistics Act deals with statistical confidentiality and data protection issues. Internal CIPH regulations define the contractual obligations of staff carrying out tasks specific workplace and compensation in cases of non-compliance with contractual obligations.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
To further ensure the confidentiality CIPH allows access to databases only participants in input, control and data processing. There are mechanisms restricted access between different stakeholders within the data processing, with appropriate technical protection.
Division for Health Informatics and Biostatistics in CIPH provides formalised data access grants, monitors activities on databases, servers and local networks, conducts automatic backup procedures six days a week on site, as well as distanced monthly and yearly backup
There are several CIPH documents dealing data protection: Procedure for dealing with personal data, Procedure in case of personal data violation, Procedure of personal data protection when issuing microbiological results, electronic correspondence and documents archiving; for example, it is mandatory to record workers' access to electronic personal data and their authorizations, access to personal data stored in electronic form (electronic database) is enabled only by using the assigned username and password from an authorized person, the signing of the confidentiality statement by all CIPH employees who are involved in the processing of personal data is mandatory. It is recommended to reduce the amount of personal data and the scope of data during processing to the minimum possible extent by analyzing the personal data that is collected and assessing whether it is really necessary.
8.1. Release calendar
Croatian Institute of Public Health published first release calendar on the website in 2024, for data publications in 2025. But even for the previous years, we are obliged to respect deadline for dissemination specified in Annual implementing plan of statistical activities in Croatia.
For all the routine health and statistical research, The Annual Implementation Plan of Statistical Activities of the Republic of Croatia defines the content of research, data collection, collection periods, the level of publishing the results, limits the release of the results as well as relevant national and international standards.
8.2. Release calendar access
8.3. Release policy - user access
Croatian Institute of Public Health (CIPH) publishes results of statistical researches in the form of a Yearbook and separated bulletins on the CIPH official website. All stated forms of published results contain the information about the methodology of the statistical processes and the quality of their outputs (for example data source, inclusion and exclusion criteria). All data are published and available to all users free of charge.
Pursuant to the Act on the Right to Access to Information (OG 25/13, 85/15 i 69/22) there is an increasing number of enquiries from the users for the information which require the analysis of indicators which do not belong to the routine data processing. CIPH submits the data within the legal deadline. Legal templates for the users are published on CIPH's official website.
All templates are according to the Act on the Right to Access to Information and listed on the official website as follows: Request for access to information, Request for supplement or correction of information and Request for re-use of information.
Yearly.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Data on healthcare non-expenditure is published under Croatian Health Statistical Yearbook and individual thematic reports yearly on the website of the Croatian Institute of Public Health.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Croatian Health Statistical Yearbook for 2024
Health Care Utilisation within The Dental Medicine Service in Croatia in 2024
Health Care Utilisation Within the Family (General) Medicine Service in Croatia in 2024
Health Care Utilisation within The Pre-School Children’s Health Service in Croatia in 2024
Bed Capacity and Utilization of Hospital Healthcare in Croatia in 2024
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Croatian Institute of Public Health does not have any open access database, but users interested in finding this data can find them in excel format on CIPH´s website as well as in different publications.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Croatian Institute of Public Health, generally, disseminate only aggregated data.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Croatian Institute of Public Health delivers data to several international organizations (EUROSTAT, WHO, UN), whereby the data is anonymized and, generally, aggregated.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
There are no individual documents dealing with methodology, but when publishing data, used methodology is always stated in each individual publication. One example is the calculation of several indicators from primary health care after changing data source. Namely, change of data source also required different ways of calculating individual indicators, which affected the comparability of data from previous years. For example, when calculating the number of examinations in family (general) medicine service we use the codes for diagnostic and therapeutical procedures so we list all the used ones. In statistical researches in CIPH definitions and classifications which are in accordance with the corresponding European standards are applied. When preparing data for international institutions, the given methodology is applied, and if this is not possible, it is always noted about deviations from the given methodology.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
The Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS), which is the standard for quality reporting, is published in the Eurostat Database for every variable pertaining to the Joint, non-Monetary Health Care questionnaire, as from reference year 2021.
11.1. Quality assurance
The quality segment in CIPH and in other healthcare institutions is primarily regulated by the Law on Healthcare Quality (OG 118/18). Other aspects of quality, outside of this Law, are handled by the Quality Committee, which is made up of representatives of each specialty in CIPH. There is an internal act called the Rules of Procedure of the Committee for Quality. One of the aspects of the work of this Committee is the recognition of the need for constant improvement of the statistical indicators produced by CIPH, so the participation of CIPH in the EU Morbidity Statistics project is one of the recommendations given by this Committee.
Most statistical research that CIPH is currently conducting have a two-level quality control and first is implemented in the county public health institutes. Those units are part of national public health network. They collect statistical data from reporting units in the area of their county, and control them. If they found unsatisfactory quality report they returned them to correction. The second level of quality control is in the CIPH. One part of the quality control is automatized and implemented in IT applications, but some carried out by CIPH staff. Official instructions for reporting units have been published on the CIPH website.
We have well defined (although not formalised) procedures which we follow in order to assess and assure the quality of the data we collect. Here are some examples:
- We use Eurostat's logic control implemented in excel data template to identify problematic data which we are then investigating further.
- When available, we compare the data we receive with the other published data (such as annual reports) – this is regularly applied for Croatian Health Insurance Fund data and occasionally for other data from other reporting units such as Ministry of Health, counties, non-governmental organisations, etc.).
- Also, one example regarding health care institutions is comparing and checking the data on status of entities in health system (active or closed etc.) with Court register as the access is easily possible on the web.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The majority of healthcare non-expenditure data for Croatia are collected using "bottom-up" approach - individual data from administrative data sources are collected and compiled according to EUROSTAT methodology.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Data users at the national level are Ministry of Health, regional institutes of public health as well as researchers and analysts in the area of health care.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Since CIPH publishes all the results of statistical research, it cannot have an insight into all data users. The direct contact is most often made with competent authorities which usually use data, the Ministry of Health and regional institutes of public health so they have opportunity to give its opinion from the user point of view.
12.3. Completeness
All the requirements laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2294 are fulfilled.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The overall accuracy healthcare non-expenditure data depends on the accuracy of the data used to compile them. In general, since most data are derived from administrative data sources they are accurate.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
According to Annual implementing plan of statistical activities in Croatia, preliminary data are available by the end of June for the previous year.
14.2. Punctuality
CIPH publishes the data according to Annual implementing plan of statistical activities in Croatia.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The comparability is insured by using the same data sources for all country.
15.2. Comparability - over time
See Annex at the bottom of the page for potential breaks in time series for each variable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
There are no cross-domain coherence issues.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The data are consistent.
Restricted from publication
17.1. Data revision - policy
Croatia does not have data revisions policy and it is not formalised in the form of official document. Data revisions are not done in regular time periods, but whenever it is needed.
17.2. Data revision - practice
In case of revision of already published data, we publish the date of data revision.
18.1. Source data
Source data for the different variables are given in the Annex at the bottom of the page.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Monthly, for most variables.
18.3. Data collection
Croatian Institute for Public Health collects statistics on health non-expenditure via following sources:
- National Register of Health Care Providers
- Hospital structure and function database
- Medical Equipment Database
- Medical Procedures Database
- Databases on Primary Health Care and Outpatient Specialist Health Care
- Immunisation against influenza database
- National Breast Cancer Screening Programme
- National Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme
Data on national level are collected in Croatian Institute of Public Health. Some of them are being sent directly to CIPH, and some of them are first being collected at county level (county institutes of public health). CIPH improved the method of collecting a large part of the data and almost completely switched to the electronic way of data collection (instead of papers). Most statistical researches that CIPH is currently conducting have a two-level quality control and first is implemented in the county public health institutes. Those units are part of national public health network. They collect statistical data from reporting units in the area of their county, and control them. If they found unsatisfactory quality report they returned them to correction. The second level of quality control is in the CIPH. One part of the quality control is automatized and implemented in IT applications, but some carried out by CIPH staff.
18.4. Data validation
Comparing the statistics with previous years, checking for logical mistakes.
Data were pre-validated via EDAMIS prior to official transmission.
18.5. Data compilation
The absolute numbers for country aggregates are the sum of numbers from each reporting unit.
18.6. Adjustment
In case of errors, they are corrected, but always in contact with the data source.
No further comments.
Statistics on healthcare non-expenditure provides information on healthcare human resources, healthcare facilities, and healthcare utilisation:
- People active in the healthcare sector (doctors, dentists, nurses, etc.) and their status (graduates, practising, migration of doctors and nurses, etc.);
- The available healthcare technical resources and facilities (hospital beds, beds in residential care facilities, medical technology, etc.);
- The health activities or patient contacts undertaken (hospital discharges, surgical procedures, ambulatory care data, etc.).
Annual national and regional data are provided in absolute numbers or as a rate of a relevant population.
Data are based mainly on administrative records (see section 18.1 ‘Source data’ for more information).
11 June 2026
The healthcare non-expenditure statistics describe the public health sector from a non-monetary perspective. The statistics explain the number or rate of different healthcare resources, facilities and utilisation. A wide range of indicators are collected from a multitude of sources and therefore, details pertaining to individual variables are given in the Annex.
Definitions of mandatory variables are laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2294.
The Eurostat manual on healthcare non-expenditure statistics provides an overview of the classifications, both for mandatory variables and variables provided on voluntary basis.
National changes of statistical concepts and national definitions deviating from Regulation (EU) 2022/2294: see Annex at the bottom of the page.
Registered health professionals or health care facility categories.
- All health care staff.
- All available beds or equipment in hospitals or in nursing and residential care facilities.
- All discharges or procedures performed in all hospitals.
Complete national territory
Calendar year - for majority of variables
Influenza season - for variable Immunisation against influenza
Screening programme cycle - for screening programmes
The overall accuracy healthcare non-expenditure data depends on the accuracy of the data used to compile them. In general, since most data are derived from administrative data sources they are accurate.
Absolute number at the end of reference period.
Rate of phenomenon per reference population.
The absolute numbers for country aggregates are the sum of numbers from each reporting unit.
Source data for the different variables are given in the Annex at the bottom of the page.
Yearly.
According to Annual implementing plan of statistical activities in Croatia, preliminary data are available by the end of June for the previous year.
The comparability is insured by using the same data sources for all country.
See Annex at the bottom of the page for potential breaks in time series for each variable.
