Several thousands gathered in Zagreb's central square for an open-air New Year's Eve party where local pop and rock bands played. The Croatian capital also organised a fireworks display like those in major cities in the world.
Outdoor celebrations were organised in Split, Rijeka, Dubrovnik and Osijek.
A traditional marathon race was held in the northern city of Varazdin.
On Thursday, in the western town of Fuzine, several thousand local residents and their guests showed up for the event to welcome the new year at noon on the last day of the outgoing year.
There were no incidents during open-air New Year celebrations in the country. The police reported only about cases of people, mainly children, having been injured in firecrackers explosions.