The figure includes SMS messages sent between 7 pm on December 31 and midnight on January 1. T-Mobile users sent 12 million messages, up from 10.5 million sent a year ago, while VIPnet users sent about 11 million messages, up from 9.5 million a year ago.
The number of SMS messages received and sent via both operators totalled 35 million, up six million or 20.7 per cent from a year ago, of which nearly 19 million via T-Mobile and over 16 million via VIPnet.
The third Croatian mobile phone operator, Tele2, which went into business in October, said it would not issue its SMS figures.
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Croats sent 27.5 million SMS messages, about half a million more than in 2004, the T-Mobile and VIPnet operators said.