Economic Thought and Practice, , 2026.
Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.17818/EMIP/2026/3
CROATIA’S CONVERGENCE WITH THE EU AND CEECS: BALANCING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND WELL-BEING
Jadranka Švarc
orcid.org/0000-0003-1702-3674
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Croatia
*
Emira Bečić
orcid.org/0000-0002-3449-8551
; GOPA consulting group
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
This study examines the impact of EU Cohesion Policy on Croatia’s socio-economic development since its 2013 accession, focusing on its convergence with Central and Eastern European and Southern Member States relative to the Old Member States and the EU-27. Using 11 indicators across four dimensions – techno-economic performance, innovation, institutional quality, and well-being – the study benchmarks progress against Old MS and EU-27 averages in selected indicators. The results show that the CEECs and Croatia have outpaced the Old MS in most indicators, demonstrating both their convergence with the latter and their role as key drivers of economic and social progress within the EU. However, despite this progress, they continue to lag the Old MS and EU-27 averages in all dimensions, with the widest gaps in institutional quality and well-being. This highlights that robust economic growth has not been fully translated into improvements in the non-economic dimensions of development.
Keywords
cohesion policy; Croatia; CEECs; convergence; well-being; institutional quality
Hrčak ID:
344162
URI
Publication date:
5.2.2026.
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