The determinants of regional migration in Croatia

Migration has had a great impact on Croatia, especially after it joined the EU. Thus, several studies have focused on international migration compared to regional migration which is under investigation. This study sheds some light on the determinants of internal migration at the NUTS3 level in Croatia in the 2000-2019 period relying on a fixed effects panel estimation. The results show that regional migration in Croatia is in line with the stylized facts on migration. The living standard and (labour) productivity measures, along with employment and wages are the main economic drivers of migration inflows and outflows. However, regions with substantial tourism activity attract inflows and disincentivize outflows of people, while regions with a high share of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in the value-added decrease internal migration inflows. Moreover, environmental protection results also being a significant determinant of regional migration.