Active ageing encompasses physical, mental, and work-related activities, as well as participation in social, cultural, and economic activities, with the goal of extending a healthy lifespan and improving the quality of life for older adults. The concept of active ageing requires adjustments of various systems, including the welfare state. Consequently, this review paper, following the basic ideas within the concept of active ageing, examines the challenges of three key systems that shape the experience of ageing in Croatia - the healthcare system, the pension system, and the social welfare system (including long-term care). This review paper highlights numerous challenges faced by these systems in Croatia, with special attention to issues of gender and broader social inequalities that greatly influence the experience of ageing. Some of the key challenges identified in this work include inadequate access to healthcare services, especially in rural areas and on islands, insufficiently developed services that address social exclusion and the mental health of older adults, inadequate pensions and the consequently high risk of poverty and social exclusion, particularly among women, which the social welfare system inadequately addresses, as well as underdeveloped and often unaffordable long-term care services. The review paper concludes that comprehensive reforms are necessary to ensure that these systems support dignified and active ageing, including improving access to healthcare services, adapting the pension system to negative demographic trends, and strengthening the social welfare system to reduce social exclusion and poverty among older adults.