从脆弱性到创业：释放克罗地亚弱势群体的创业精神

Unlocking Entrepreneurship forVulnerable Groups in Croatia TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS4ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS5A. INTRODUCTION6B. BARRIERS IN ACCESS TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP8I. Women9II. Ethnic Roma13III. Immigrants17IV. Other Vulnerable Groups21C. FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL SERVICES FORVULNERABLE GROUPS23D. GOING FORWARD26REFERENCE LIST28 LIST OF BOXES ABBREVIATIONS FINAFinancial Agency ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was prepared by a World Bank team consisting of Matija Laco (Senior Economist),Martina Sahan Sedmak (Consultant – Financial Sector), Natalija Golubovac (Consultant – SocialDevelopment), Fajar Argo Djati (Senior Social Development Specialist), and Dianna M. Pizarro (SeniorSocial Development Specialist). Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted and initialdrafts of the Study prepared by Impact House team consisting of Tamara Puhovski (Senior SocialImpact Specialist), Danijela Paska (Researcher and Impact Specialist) and a CEPOR team consisting ofMirelaAlpeza(Director,Senior Entrepreneurship Specialist)and Maja Has(Researcher,Entrepreneurship Specialist). The team would like to thank the Roma community, women entrepreneurs – particularly those fromDelnice – and all interview and focus group participants for generously sharing their time, knowledge,and experiences. The team is grateful for valuable feedback from the peer reviewers, Lucero Burga (Senior FinancialSector Economist) and Lisa Schmidt (Senior Social Development Specialist) as well as contributionsfrom Ana Simundza (Operations Officer), Vanja Frajtic (External Affairs Officer), and Petra Rozman(Consultant). The team worked under the guidance of Jehan Arulpragasam (Country Manager for Croatia CountryManagement Unit), Cecile Thioro Niang (Practice Manager, Finance, Competitiveness and InnovationDepartment for Europe and Central Asia Region), Helene Monika Carlsson Rex (Practice Manager,Social Department for Europe and Central Asia Region), and Varalakshmi Vemuru (Practice Manager,Social Department for the Eastern and Southern Africa Region). NOTE This policy note is a product of the staff of the World Bank Group. The findings, interpretations, andconclusions expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank Group,its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank Group doesnot guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work, which is drawn from multiple externalsources. Nothing herein shall constitute, or be considered to be, a limitation upon or waiver of theprivileges and immunities of The World Bank Group, all of which are specifically reserved. Cover photos from left to right: © Poungsaed-Studio / Shutterstock© paul prescott / Shutterstock© Andreas G. Karelias / Shutterstock A. INTRODUCTION Certain groups in Croatia still face barriers and challenges in initiating, owning, and scaling abusiness.Women and people in older cohorts (ages 50–64) represent one of the largest groups of“missing”entrepreneurs–a term used by the Organization for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD) to describe underrepresented populations in entrepreneurship due to systemicobstacles such as limited access to finance, networks, skills, and regulatory challenges (OECD &European Commission 2023). Almost 80 percent of these missing entrepreneurs are women. TheOECD also notes that out of a total of 148,214 registered companies operating in the country in 2023,only 21.4 percent were exclusively owned by women, with another 9.1 percent being co-owned bywomen. At the same time, Croatia has the third-lowest share of people in older cohorts in theEuropean Union (EU) who are involved in creating businesses (OECD/European Commission, 2023).Ethnic Roma are chronically underrepresented with low participation in entrepreneurial activities –only 2.1 percent of the total Roma population report being self-employed (Kunac et al., 2018). In thecase of immigrants, the self-employment rate is among the highest in the EU at 19% (OECD &European Commission, 2023). However, this high rate may reflect economic hardship, as many turnto self-employment due to limited opportunities in the formal job market. Underrepresented groups hold vast untapped entrepreneurial potential that could generatebroad societal benefits, including job creation—but targeted support is essential to unlock it.Unlockingentrepreneurialtalent among underrepresented populations fosters inclusive andsustainablegrowth,strengthens labor market participation,and enhances social and financialinclusion. Women, immigrants, youth, seniors, the unemployed, and people with disabilities make upthe majority of these “missing” entrepreneurs in both Croatia and globally. The extent of these gaps isconsiderable. In the EU, these groups with untapped entrepreneurial potential make up 44 percent ofthe total number of current entrepreneurs (compared to the average figure across the OECD memberstatesof 34 percent).This suggests that more i