In Zagreb, according to data from the Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK), last year, 44,847 companies with revenues below 50 million kuna employed 156,467 people with a total revenue of 86 billion kuna. This segment of the so-called small economy constitutes 98 percent of Zagreb’s companies, with 41 percent of employees and 23 percent of revenue. The HGK compared this data with 2019 (as a comparison with the pandemic year 2020 would show unrealistically high growth). Over two years, the number of small companies increased by 5,683 (14.4 percent), the number of employees in them by 12,443 (8.6 percent), and revenues increased by 2.6 billion kuna (3.2 percent). While the data on the number of companies, especially the growth in employment, is very good, the small economy has actually recorded a real decline in revenue over the past two years. Inflation during that time was 4.8 percent, so revenues were effectively reduced by 1.6 percent.
Zagreb’s small economy is primarily oriented towards trade – every third kuna of revenue from small entrepreneurs comes from retail, wholesale, and the sale and servicing of vehicles. Professional, scientific, and technical activities contribute 14.31 percent to revenues, followed by manufacturing with an 11.13 percent share, construction (10.18 percent), and information and communication with 8.8 percent. The share of other activities amounts to 13.67 percent. In the last two years, construction has made the most progress, increasing by 0.97 percentage points, which is a relative growth of 10.5 percent. Therefore, despite complaints about the slow reconstruction of Zagreb and Banija after the earthquake, the construction sector, along with the revived housing construction, is in a significant offensive.
