Croatia is expected to end 2011 with a slight increase in Gross Domestic Product, although some analysts also predict a slight decline. The unemployment rate and illiquidity have increased, industrial output is down, construction activity has seen a sharp decline, while tourism turnover is on the rise.
Although industrial output recorded increases in several months this year, in the 11 months it was 1.4 per cent lower than in the corresponding period of 2010. Construction works, measured in man-hours at building sites, fell by 9.4 per cent in the 10 months of the year.
Unlike last year's high export rates, deliveries abroad have slowed down considerably this year. In the January-November period, exports rose by 1.9 per cent to HRK 60.2 billion, while imports reached HRK 101 billion kuna, up 0.7 per cent.
In the 10 months of the year, 11.1 million tourists visited Croatia, or 8.2 per cent more than in the same period of 2010, and booked 59.5 million bed/nights, an increase of 7 per cent.
