Ever since Croatia became a full member of the European Union as the 28th state on the 1st of July 2013 there have alarm bells raised that many of the country’s most talented young professionals would leave to seek employment in another member state. Ireland and Sweden have been the most attractive destinations for Croatians looking to further their careers abroad. And a new survey shows that Croatia is facing an uphill battle to keep its talented workers from migrating.

According to a statement from the National Competitiveness Council (NVK) Croatia has placed as the 53rd among 61 countries on the Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Talent Ranking 2016 list.

The list was published by the Institute for Management Development (IMD) from Lausanne, Switzerland and showed that Croatia made a slight improvement in comparison to last year when it ranked as the 58th.

The IMD evaluates a country's potential to develop, attract and keep talented people in order to create a base of talents necessary for companies to operate in their fields. The ranking is based on more than 30 indicators which are divided into three main groups – investment and development, attracting talent and a country’s readiness.

In the first group of indicators which refers to improvement of the quality of education system Croatia placed as the 38th, whilst in the second group which estimates a country’s capability to keep talented people and its capacity to attract new ones Croatia placed as the 58th. On the other hand, Croatia placed as the 57th in the third group of indicators which estimate readiness of a country to meet the labour market needs.

‘’The latest report indicates the necessary implementation of the reform of the education system and encouraging lifelong learning as a precondition for creating a more competitive society and economy," said the NVK president Ivica Mudrinic emphasizing the importance of creating new jobs and opening up opportunities for professional affirmation in Croatia.