Tim za socijalno uključivanje i smanjenje siromaštva

One in eight persons with disabilities above 15 years of age has not completed primary education, while among the approximately 570 thousand living in Serbia, only 9% are economically active, as shown by the data presented on 3 December by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Data indicate that the situation for women with disabilities is particularly poor. In the EU, approximately 44 million persons aged 15 to 64 years of age have some form of disability, and therefore are not fully included in society and economic activities.

“A total of 571,780 persons with disabilities live in Serbia, representing 8% of the total population. Among them, approximately 58% are women, with the average age of women around 69, a men around 64 years of age”, said the deputy director of the Office Zoran Jančić on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Speaking at the promotion of a publication regarding persons with disabilities by author Milan Marković in Belgrade, he emphasized that for the first time in Serbia data was gathered on the problems these persons have in daily life. The publication was prepared in accordance with the population census for Serbia in 2011.

There are around 62% of persons with disabilities among pensioners, and 0.5% among students. Of the total number of persons with disabilities, the largest number have problems walking (around 60%), while the smallest number are those with communications problems (0.8% of the total population of Serbia).

According to Eurostat data, the employment rate of citizens aged 15 to 64 years in EU in 2011 was 66.9%, while among persons with disabilities the rate was significantly lower at 47.3%.

In Serbia 55.1% of persons with disabilities are exposed to the risk of poverty or social exclusion, while among those without disability the number is 40.5%, representing a difference of 14.6%.

Source: Beta, EurActiv.rs