Vlada republike SrbijeGovernment of the Republic of Serbia

Jezici

Relative Poverty

In 2019 (according to SILC 2020), the at-risk-of-poverty threshold or relative poverty line, calculated as 60% of the median equivalised income, amounted to, on average, RSD 22,000 per month for a single-person household, and RSD 46,200 for a four-person household with two adults and two children up to the age of 14. Expressed in purchasing power standards (PPS[1]), the at-risk-of-poverty threshold for a single-person household amounts to 330 PPS monthly.

The at-risk-of-poverty threshold in the Republic of Serbia is lower than the threshold in all 28 EU Member States and also in other Balkan countries (except North Macedonia and Albania)[2].

The table below shows alternative poverty lines and the sensitivity of the at-risk-of-poverty rate depending on the choice of poverty line. The percentage of change in the at-risk-of-poverty rate is higher than the percentage of change in the poverty line, indicating a considerable concentration of the population around the poverty line.

Raising the poverty line from 60% to 70% of the median equivalized income would increase the at-risk-of-poverty rate by 5.9 percentage points (from 21.7% to as high as 27.6%), while lowering the poverty line from 60% to 50% of the median equivalized income would decrease the at-risk-of-poverty rate by 7.6 percentage points (from 21.7% to 14.1%). The sensitivity of the at-risk-of-poverty rate did not change compared to the previous reporting period.

According to SILC (2020) data, the at-risk-of-poverty rate (share of persons with income by consumption unit below 60% of the median of the equivalent income in the total population) was 21.7%, and it represented the lowest at-risk-of-poverty rate in the observed survey implementation period.

Selected relative poverty indicators in the Republic of Serbia, 2013-2020

% of median income by consumer unit At-risk-of-poverty rate %
SILC 2013. SILC 2014. SILC 2015. SILC 2016. SILC 2017. SILC 2018. SILC 2019. SILC 2020.
60% 24,5 25,0 26,7 25,9 25,7 24,3 23,2 21,7
40% 13,3 13,7 14,6 14,5 14,4 13,7 11,2 9,3
50% 18,4 19,1 20,4 20,0 19,8 18,0 16,8 14,1
70% 30,4 32,0 32,6 32,2 31,2 30,1 30,0 27,6

 

% of median income by consumer unit At-risk-of-poverty threshold, per month
SILC 2013. SILC 2014. SILC 2015. SILC 2016. SILC 2017. SILC 2018. SILC 2019. SILC 2020.
60% 13.680 13.725 13.973 14.680 15.600 16.615 19.381 22.000
40% 9.120 9.150 9.316 9.787 10.400 11.076 12.921 14.667
50% 11.400 11.438 11.644 12.233 13.000 13.846 16.151 18.334
70% 15.960 16.013 16.302 17.127 18.200 19.384 22.611 25.667
Source: Eurostat database Table At-risk-of-poverty thresholds; At-risk-of-poverty rate by poverty threshold, age and sex.
Note:
  • Household income does not include in-kind income.
  • The reference period being the previous calendar year for income components.

The analysis of the profile of relatively poor persons indicates the following:

  • Regarding sex, no significant differences are noted in the risk of poverty between men and women at the level of the overall population;
  • Children (up to 18 years of age) are most at risk of poverty;
  • Risk of poverty is significantly higher in rural areas;
  • Those with lower levels of education are considerably more vulnerable;
  • The unemployed are in the worst position, since nearly one in two unemployed persons (46.7%) are exposed to a risk of poverty;
  • Individuals living in households with dependent children, and/or households with two adults with three or more dependent children, as well as single-parent families, have been most at risk of poverty according to SILC (2020) data.

 

Relative poverty profile, SILC 2013-2020

SILC 2013. SILC 2014. SILC 2015. SILC 2016. SILC 2017. SILC 2018. SILC 2019. SILC 2020.
Total 24,5 25,0 26,7 25,9 25,7 24,3 23,2 21,7
Male 24,9 25,6 27,5 26,3 25,4 24,6 22,7 21,3
Female 24,1 24,4 26,0 25,5 26,0 24,0 23,6 22,1
Age
Children (<18) 29,7 29,3 31,1 30,2 30,5 28,8 28,9 24,2
Adults 18-64 24,4 25,1 27,3 26,3 25,7 24,0 22,3 20,9
65 and over 19,4 20,4 20,8 20,5 21,3 21,1 21,1 22,0
Degree of urbanization
Cities 13,6 15,9 14,2 19,1 18,1 16,0 15,2 14,6
Towns and suburbs 23,5 21,9 24,3 21,8 21,8 20,4 19,0 18,1
Rural areas 36,1 37,5 36,7 34,1 35,2 34,7 33,5 30,7
Household type
Single-member household 26,3 28,4 31,2 34,4 33,0 34,3 31,8 34,0
One adult person with children 34,2 33,8 37,5 40,8 30,6 36,5 41,6 31,9
Two adult persons with 1 child 24,9 19,4 22,6 21,5 26,4 24,1 23,9 18,4
Two adult persons, 2 children 24,6 26,4 28,2 24,2 24,8 21,3 19,1 18,2
Two adult persons, 3 or more children 44,4 35,2 34,2 53,1 55,8 53,6 51,9 37,2
Households without dependent children 21,3 22,4 23,7 22,9 22,8 21,2 19,8 21,0
Households with dependent children 27,0 27,0 29,1 28,2 28,0 26,8 26,1 22,3
Education (18 and above)
No education and primary (ED 0-2) 36,5 38,6 42,5 40,7 41,6 42,1 41,1 40,7
Secondary (ED 3 and 4) 21,3 21,4 23,0 22,4 21,7 20,7 19,3 18,6
Higher (ED 5 to 8) 6,1 8,3 8,6 9,8 9,1 6,1 6,1 6,4
Most frequent status in the labour market (18 and above)
Employees 6,4 7,0 8,0 7,8 6,8 6,8 6,5 6,2
Employed persons except employees 38,3 37,9 38,9 34,4 35,5 31,0 25,9 18,8
Unemployed persons 48,4 46,8 50,1 49,6 50,7 49,0 47,5 46,7
Retired persons 14,4 15,6 16,7 16,6 17,5 17,1 17,2 19,4
Other inactive persons 32,5 33,1 37,7 35,3 33,4 35,4 33,5 32,6
Source: Eurostat database Tables At-risk-of-poverty rate by poverty threshold, age and sex; At-risk-of-poverty rate by poverty threshold and household type; At-risk-of-poverty rate by poverty threshold and most frequent activity in the previous year; At-risk-of-poverty rate by degree of urbanization, At-risk-of-poverty rate by poverty threshold and educational attainment level.
Note: for all families, the term “children” means “dependent children”.

For more information on relative poverty in Serbia, see:

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[1] Purchasing power standards (PPS) based on the converter for HFCE (Household Final Consumption Expenditure)
[2] Eurostat database Table At-risk-of-poverty thresholds

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