Nearly one in five people in Serbia live at risk of poverty, with children and pensioners being the most vulnerable, according to a panel titled “From Economic Growth to Shared Prosperity – Understanding and Addressing Multidimensional Poverty” held in Belgrade.
Data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (RZS) shows that over the last decade, 50.8% of those at risk were unemployed individuals, including people over 15 years old, students, pensioners, and pupils. Self-employed individuals, such as private entrepreneurs and farmers, accounted for 12.7% of those at risk, while only 4.8% were employed in the public sector.
UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia, Matilda Mort, stated that Serbia performs well in terms of employment compared to global averages, but national comparisons are more relevant. She emphasized that public policies should be evidence-based and that EU integration requires more inclusive institutional work.
Marko Jovanović, State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, noted that Serbia’s at-risk-of-poverty rate stands at 19.7%, with GDP growth at 3.9% in 2024 and unemployment declining to 8.6%.
Borka Jeremić, Head of the UNFPA Office in Serbia, stressed that poverty is a multidimensional issue, influenced by gender, identity, age, and place of residence. She noted that over half of Serbian women (51.2%) are not in the workforce, often due to childcare responsibilities, while men cite the lack of full-time job opportunities. Children and pensioners remain the hardest hit, and 25% of older women living alone face the highest poverty risk.
Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation in Serbia, highlighted that while Belgrade shows lower poverty levels, southern and eastern regions face higher rates. She emphasized that social protection and pensions are key to addressing poverty and that both government and civil society must strengthen these systems.
Halacheva also outlined the EU’s Western Balkans growth plan, which allocates €1.6 billion to human capital and structural reforms, with a special employment and social inclusion program dedicating €27 million for 2024–2027 to combat poverty and enhance social inclusion.
