Zagreb County

Zagreb County wraps around the City of Zagreb without including it—an administrative donut created when the two entities separated in 1997. The county's 3,060 square kilometers and 310,000 residents form the 'Zagreb Ring,' suburban territory that houses workers who commute to the capital while maintaining Croatia's highest concentration of family farms. Together with the City of Zagreb's 767,000 residents, the metropolitan area reaches 1.08 million—roughly a quarter of Croatia's total population.

The county's economic character splits between suburban commuter towns and agricultural hinterland. Samobor and Zaprešić function as bedroom communities, their residents driving daily into Zagreb for higher-wage employment. Velika Gorica hosts Franjo Tuđman Airport, Croatia's largest and most important international gateway, processing the passenger flows that make tourism possible. But beyond the suburban ring, over 50% of the county's population lives in rural communities—the highest proportion in the Zagreb metropolitan area.

Agriculturally, Zagreb County punches above its weight. It registers more family farms than any other Croatian county, producing approximately 10% of national agricultural output in livestock and fruit cultivation. Geothermal resources support emerging energy production; fertile Pannonian plains enable organic farming that supplies the capital's markets. The county embodies the relationship between primate city and supporting territory: Zagreb draws workers and consumers, the county provides food, commuters, and airport access.

By 2026, Zagreb County's future depends on whether it can capture spillover growth from the capital—real estate development, logistics, food processing—or whether it remains primarily a transit zone between airport and city, agricultural supplier for urban markets, and residential territory for workers who earn their wages elsewhere.