Gross domestic product represents the sum of personal consumption, investments, government spending and net exports at the national level within one year. It is the most important indicator of economic trends and the economic situation in a given country and, still, the most important macroeconomic indicator. This paper analyses the movement and structure of Croatian gross domestic product in the period from 1995 to 2021. Considering the fact that the Republic of Croatia has been a member of the European Union since 2013, and of the euro area since 2023, the movement of the gross domestic product and its components (personal consumption, investment, government consumption, net exports) was compared to its counterparts at the European Union level. The comparison indicated a strong connection and similarities between economic movements, economic indicators and cycles of the Republic of Croatia and the European Union, which is of exceptional importance in regard with the use of a common currency and the loss of monetary independence. At the same time, the standard of Croatian citizens, measured by gross domestic product per inhabitant, is still significantly behind the European average.