At the level of implementation of the Rural Development Program for the period 2014.-2020., the rural area is considered the entire territory of the Republic of Croatia, with the exception of administrative centers of four cities, and those are Zagreb, Osijek, Split and Rijeka. The Republic of Croatia is classified into a group of rural countries, as 91,6% of the total area of the Republic of Croatia is in the rural area, 88,7% of the settlements are located in the rural area, and 47,6% of the inhabitants of the Republic of Croatia live in the rural area. The Republic of Croatia has a great potential for rural development. Looking to the future, encouraging innovation and digitalization of agriculture can greatly affect the development of rural areas. The plan is that in the future the rural area of the Republic of Croatia become appealing to residents and visitors, attractive and comfortable for life, work and residence. The aim of this research is to identify the role of Local Action Groups in the development of rural areas of the Republic of Croatia and to explore in what way and by wich activities Local Action Groups influence the development of rural areas. Local Action Groups are associations that provide direct support to local development stakeholders and projects of national rural development programs.