2022
According to the data of the National Bureau of Statistics (Croatian: Državni zavod za statistiku, DZS), the risk of poverty rate in Croatia, after two years of continuous decrease (when the rate was 18.3%), increased in 2021 and amounted to 19.2%, while there are 20.09% of the total population at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The risk of poverty rate by age and gender in 2021 was the highest among persons aged 65 or older and amounted to 32.4%, while the risk of poverty rate was the highest for unemployed persons and amounted to 46.6% (DZS, 2021).
Eurostat data on per capita consumption in 2020 show that Croatia is the second poorest country in Europe (13,100 EUR in 2020, Eurostat), right after Bulgaria (11,900 EUR in 2020, Eurostat). Social benefit (guaranteed minimum income) was received by 62,301 people in 2019, and 50,151 people in 2021, of which 28,318 are household members and 21,833 are single. There are 11,110 children among the recipients of minimum income.
2021
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the at-risk-of-poverty rate in Croatia has been continuously declining, amounting to 18.3% in 2019 (20.6% in 2010), while there were 23.3% of persons (31.1% in 2010) at risk of poverty or social exclusion out of the total population. The exclusion of social transfers from income affects the increase in the percentage of people at risk of poverty from the basic 18.3% to a rate of 24.3%, but if social transfers and pensions are excluded from income, then the at-risk-of-poverty rate is 41%. The at-risk-of-poverty rate by age and gender in 2019 was highest in persons aged 65 or over and amounted to 30.1%, while the at-risk-of-poverty rate by the most common activity status was the highest for the unemployed and amounted to 45.3% (CBS, 2020, 2021). Eurostat data on per capita consumption in 2020 show that Croatia is the second poorest country in Europe (EUR 13,100 in 2020, Eurostat), right after Bulgaria (EUR 11,900 in 2020, Eurostat). In 2019, 62,301 people received social benefits (guaranteed minimum benefits), of which 28,646 were women and 23,302 were single. Among the recipients of benefits are 14,925 children.
Poverty Watch Main Findings
Most Affected Groups
People with disabilities
Homeless people
Roma community
Poor families with children
Single-parent families
Elderly people
Main Priorities
- Reducing the population of at risk of poverty and social exclusion by continuing social investment in cash benefits for vulnerable groups and non-monetary services in the field of employment and integration. Continue to promote the concept of integration of social services for vulnerable groups, which is underdeveloped in Croatia and exists in the “islands” of the public and state sectors.
- Involvement of civil society organisations in the development and implementation of social inclusion measures at the local and national level, by promoting the concept of co-governance and development of civil society as an organized force that promotes democratic, European values.
- Increasing public investment in the field of social protection – ensuring an adequate minimum income for people in social need in order to prevent poverty and maintain an adequate standard of living. Design measures appropriate to the times of crisis that were lacking during the COVID-19 pandemic for particularly vulnerable groups (eg children in the families of recipients of guaranteed minimum benefits).
- Implement structural reforms of the social protection system, in particular with regard to the distribution of benefits that should be in appropriate proportion to the minimum standards of services that should ensure regional uniformity, both in the quality and availability of services.
2020
Despite the improvement in various areas of social life in EU, only 8.2 million people have been lifted out of poverty since 2008. In Croatia, 23,30% of the population is at risk of poverty and social exclusion.
Poverty Watch Main Findings
Most affected groups
People with disabilities
People living in remote/less developed regions
Children
Elderly people
Homeless & poor employed people
Main priorities
Reduction of the population at risk of poverty and social exclusion
- Increase of the public investing for social protection
- ensuring minimum income for all in need, in order to prevent and combat poverty
- Introduce structural social reform
- Ensure benefit distribution to be linked to the minimum standard of services
Contact details
Hrvatska mreža protiv siromaštva
Teslina 13, 10 000 Zagreb (Croatia)
Tel: +385 1 7789 950, 955
E-mail: nzganec (@) pravo.hr
