section_path: Background
section_name: Background
paragraph_text: Background
  
  Prices in Croatia had surged in the lead-up to the boycott, to the extent that salaries and pensions did not keep up. This began as part of the broader increase in prices due to inflation from the COVID-19 pandemic and was accentuated when Croatia joined the Eurozone in 2023. A declining agricultural sector, large food retailer monopolies and erosion of smaller businesses, an influx of imports, and an overreliance on tourism have all contributed to the inflationary surge. Further price hikes have since been implemented by various retailers in the country, leading to a 30% surge in prices according to official metrics.
  
  Croatia became significantly more expensive to live in than neighboring countries. The price of basic food items, such as bread and eggs, increased by up to 60% in some cases. Attention was drawn to the cost of products in Croatia compared to their cost in neighboring countries; for example, a German shampoo brand was said to cost 130% more in Croatia than in Germany. In Bulgaria, it was 20% cheaper than in Croatia. This even included locally made products, with a Croatian seasoning costing €7.69 per kilogram within Croatia, as opposed to €6.35 in Sweden. Branimir Bradarić, writing for the Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti, noted that tourists in Croatia, who used to frequent restaurants on a regular basis, now began to eat in their apartments due to the exorbitant prices.
  
  In Croatia, inflation went up for the fourth consecutive month. Services costs rose 6.3 percent and prices in the food, beverages and tobacco group were 4.7 percent higher than the previous year. As a result, Croats refrained from shopping at retail outlets and grocery stores, and avoided using delivery services, banks, restaurants, and cafes. The boycott also included the cessation of bill payments and shopping online.