Abstract (Translated):
The paper analyzes Croatia's income convergence over the period from 2000 to 2024 with respect to four groups of countries: the EU15, NMS8, NMS12, and SE4. Using time series methodology and fractional integration, the study examines Croatia's affiliation with different convergence clubs within the European Union. The results indicate that Croatia is converging toward the income levels of the EU15 and SE4, with estimated fractional integration parameters of 0.87 and 0.95, respectively. This suggests a slow but steady convergence process. However, convergence toward the NMS8 and NMS12 groups is not confirmed, as the parameters exceed 1, indicating persistent income disparities. These findings imply that Croatia is economically aligning more closely with the older EU member states and Southern European countries, but not with the newer member states.