Zagreb in numbers · Census 2021
Empty flats in Zagreb by district
The 2021 census counted 84,617 empty flats in Zagreb, 22.0% of all dwellings for permanent residence. Lower Town had the highest share (28.9%), Donja Dubrava the lowest (16.1%).
In this story: 1/5 · Empty flats
Empty flats
84,617
22.0% of dwellings for permanent residence
Most empty
28.9 %
Lower Town
Renting households
7.7 %
paying a market rent
| Empty flats, % | n | |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Town | 28.9 % | 5,951 |
| Upper Town – Medveščak | 26.2 % | 4,009 |
| Peščenica – Žitnjak | 25.6 % | 7,215 |
| Trnje | 24.7 % | 5,965 |
| Črnomerec | 24.6 % | 4,909 |
| Trešnjevka – North | 24.0 % | 7,394 |
| Podsljeme | 23.8 % | 1,981 |
| Gornja Dubrava | 23.2 % | 6,136 |
| Maksimir | 21.6 % | 5,091 |
| Trešnjevka – South | 20.9 % | 7,461 |
| New Zagreb – West | 20.8 % | 6,334 |
| Sesvete | 19.2 % | 5,315 |
| New Zagreb – East | 18.8 % | 5,718 |
| Stenjevec | 18.4 % | 4,757 |
| Podsused – Vrapče | 17.8 % | 3,565 |
| Brezovica | 16.2 % | 662 |
| Donja Dubrava | 16.1 % | 2,154 |
Empty flats as a share of dwellings for permanent residence, as of 31 August 2021. Source: DZS and City of Zagreb, Census 2021.
What counts as an empty flat
An empty flat is a dwelling for permanent residence where nobody lived on the census date. The census gives examples:
- a new flat nobody has moved into yet
- a flat waiting to be let or sold
- a flat empty because of a move or building work
- a flat empty for other reasons
Holiday homes and dwellings used only for work (offices, surgeries) are counted separately. The 2021 census doesn't single out short-term tourist rentals, so we don't know how many of the empty flats they are. This is August 2021, not today.
| Renting households, % | |
|---|---|
| Trešnjevka – North | 10.4 % |
| Trnje | 9.8 % |
| Trešnjevka – South | 9.3 % |
| Peščenica – Žitnjak | 8.6 % |
| New Zagreb – East | 8.4 % |
| New Zagreb – West | 8.1 % |
| Lower Town | 8.0 % |
| Stenjevec | 7.9 % |
| Sesvete | 7.5 % |
| Upper Town – Medveščak | 7.0 % |
| Črnomerec | 7.0 % |
| Maksimir | 6.9 % |
| Donja Dubrava | 6.3 % |
| Gornja Dubrava | 5.6 % |
| Podsused – Vrapče | 4.8 % |
| Podsljeme | 3.7 % |
| Brezovica | 1.4 % |
Households paying a freely agreed rent, as a share of all private households, Census 2021. Source: City of Zagreb.
What changes in 2027
For a flat where nobody lives permanently and that isn't let long term, the City of Zagreb charges property tax: €8 per m² a year from 2027 (2026: €5). A flat let for at least 10 months of the year is exempt if the lease is registered with the Tax Administration and the tenant's residence is registered at that address.
Guide: the 2027 empty-flat tax →Questions
- How many people in Zagreb rent?
- The 2021 Census (as of 31 August 2021) counts households: 23,236 of Zagreb's 300,329 households, or 7.7%, rented their home at a market rent. The share was highest in Trešnjevka – North (10.4%) and lowest in Brezovica (1.4%).
Share
Method and sources
The figures are the final results of the 2021 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings (as of 31 August 2021) for the 17 city districts; the districts add up to the city total. The empty share is of dwellings for permanent residence, as DZS reports it.