The GDP in the second quarter of this year rose by 3.8 percent and in the first quarter by 4.2 percent in relation to the same period last year.
The 3.6 growth rate is one of the lowest since 2001. The same GDP rate was reported in the last quarter of 2001 and a lower rate (of 3.3 percent) was reported only in the last quarter of 2003.
The slowing down in the growth of GDP in the last quarter was mostly affected by a major drop in investments, which rose by a mere 0.5 percent in relation to the same period last year (when they saw an increase of 17.6 percent).
Capital investments saw almost continual growth of more than 10 percent in the period between the last quarter of 2001 and the beginning of this year (except for the last quarter of 2002), while in the first and second quarters of this year they grew by 8.9 and 7.7 percent respectively.
Personal consumption grew by four percent in relation to the same period last year.
The export of goods and services grew by 5.5 percent, while imports grew by 3.2 percent.
Government spending was by 0.3 percent higher than in the same period last year.
The industrial growth rate was 3.8 percent and the growth rate in the sector of commerce was 4.8 percent.
Growth in the construction industry has continued to slow down. The construction industry grew by 2.3 percent in relation to the last quarter of last year, which is the lowest growth rate since 2002.
Transport, storage and communications grew by 5.4 percent, while the growth rate in the hotel management sector was one percent.
Agriculture, hunting, forestry and fisheries saw a growth rate of 7.2 percent, which is the highest growth rate in the last several years.
Financial mediation and real estate business saw a growth of six percent in relation to the last quarter of 2003, while public administration and defence grew by 1.9 percent.
The Croatian National Bank recently estimated the GDP growth in 2005 at 3.9 percent.
Last year GDP grew by 4.3 percent.