This is the Institute's first such study and the findings were made public on Tuesday.
The Institute carried out the study from 23 November to 12 January, surveying 400 workers from Asia and Africa to gain insight into their opinions about life and work in Croatia. The largest number of respondents came from the Philippines (38%), Nepal (26%), India (20%), Egypt (6%), and Bangladesh (5%). Others were from Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China, and Uganda.
This study provides the first insights regarding workers from Asia and Africa, said Marina Perić Kaselj, the director of the Institute, adding that "more comprehensive studies will follow, contributing to better guidelines for the successful integration of foreign workers into Croatian society."
Most work in hospitality and industry
The majority of surveyed foreign workers are employed in transport (22%), hospitality (19%), construction (17%), and industry (13%). About 53% of foreign workers said they do not speak Croatian but understand basic words, 21% said they speak Croatian at a basic level, 18% said they do not speak Croatian at all, while 8% consider themselves fluent in Croatian.
Half of the respondents reported having completed high school, 35% to have an undergraduate degree, and 6% to have completed primary school. Approximately 36% identified as Roman Catholic, 3% as Hindu, and 15% as Sunni Muslims. Others identified with different forms of Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Kirant, and Sikhism, or said they are not religious.
Nearly 90% financially support their families
Of the respondents, 51% have been in Croatia less than a year, 34% for one to two years, 5% for three to five years, and 9.5% for more than five years.
78.5% of foreign workers in Croatia are employed full-time. Nearly 90% said they financially support their families in the countries they emigrated from, 55% plan to relocate their families to Croatia, 28% are undecided, 10% said they would not move their families, and 5% said do not have a family.
Long-term plans
32.8% of foreign workers intend to stay in Croatia for up to five years, 23.5% want to stay between six and ten years, 20.5% plan to stay until retirement, and 19.5% wish to remain for the rest of their lives.
Most foreign workers satisfied with life in Croatia
Regarding life satisfaction, 40% of foreign workers stated that they are very satisfied with their lives (ratings of 8, 9 and 10 on a scale from 0 to 10). Around 26.5% said they are very dissatisfied with their lives (ratings of 0, 1 and 2). An additional 27% said they are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their lives, while 6% chose not to express an opinion, the Institute reported.
When it comes to living standards, 43.5% of foreign workers said they are very satisfied, while about 24% stated they are very dissatisfied. The remaining respondents said they are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their current living standards. Similarly, 44% of respondents said they are very satisfied with their life achievements, while 25% are very dissatisfied.
Almost half (49.3%) of respondents said they are very satisfied with their sense of security, while 2% are very dissatisfied. An almost identical number of foreign workers (48.8%) stated that they are very satisfied with their sense of security for the future. On the other hand, around 28% of foreign workers said they are very dissatisfied with their sense of security for the future.
Regarding changes in quality of life, 34.5% of foreign workers believe that their quality of life significantly improved after coming to Croatia, while around 46.25% feel that their quality of life slightly improved. 11% said it is the same as before, while 8.25% believe their quality of life has worsened, either slightly or significantly.
The majority, or 87.5% of foreign workers, believe they have the right to the same quality of life as Croats, while 12.5% feel they do not have the right to the same quality of life.
Equal number of workers satisfied and dissatisfied with migrant life
When it comes to migrant life, 22% of foreign workers believe their migrant life is close to ideal, while almost the same number, 20%, think their migrant life is far from ideal.
Around 33.5% of foreign workers in Croatia stated that the conditions of their migrant life are excellent, while 23% said the conditions are extremely poor. Accordingly, 38% of foreign workers said they are very satisfied with their migrant life, while 21% are very dissatisfied, according to the survey.
Majority rate their health as excellent or very good
Around 61% of foreign workers rate their health as excellent or very good, while 33% rate it as good. Only 5% of foreign workers rate their health as very poor or poor.
Furthermore, 62% of foreign workers rate their mental health as excellent or very good, about 31% rate it as good, while around 7% feel mentally very poor or poor. About 60% of foreign workers said they have experienced some form of pain in the past 4 weeks, ranging from very mild to severe. About 40% reported having no pain in the last 4 weeks.
Survey results indicate positive trends despite some dissatisfaction
"The study results show that a relatively higher number of foreign workers from Asia are generally satisfied with life and work in Croatia. It is clear that there is also a significant number of foreign workers who express some dissatisfaction with their current position in Croatian society. However, generally speaking, the current situation can be assessed positively. The new Foreign Nationals Act and other recent activities will certainly further strengthen the status of foreign workers in Croatia, and we are likely to attract more highly skilled labour over time," said the lead researcher, Ivan Balabanić.
He added that the Ministry of Demography and Migration has emphasised that, in addition to efforts to increase the birth rate, reduce emigration, and encourage the return of the Croatian diaspora, it will actively work on the integration of foreign workers into Croatian society.
"I believe that the results of our study indicate that the situation is not as critical as is often portrayed in public, and that we have taken timely steps, such as changes to the Foreign Nationals Act, which will allow for the stable acceptance and integration of foreign workers into Croatian society. They will, inevitably, continue to arrive in significant numbers in the coming years to join our labour market," Balabanić said.