With statistics, things are like with "Capital" Karl Marx or the Bible - everyone will be able to find something to support their thesis. Thus, while the government talks about never-greater prosperity in Serbia, even 65 percent of employees cannot cover the consumer basket.
Aleksandar Vučić at the presentation of Serbia's development strategy until 2030 and 2035, he said that the average pension is expected to reach around 750 euros, and the salary 2.000. The pace he set is such that by 2030 the average salary should reach around 1.320 euros, by 2035 around 1.700 euros, and the long-term goal is around 2.000 euros.
A fifth of people live in poverty
Here and now in Serbia, however, even 20 percent of workers receive - less than 68.755 dinars, writes New Economy. The average net salary for the entire year 2025 was 109.925 dinars, while the median net salary for December 2025 was 90.819 dinars, which means that 50 percent of employees earned up to the specified amount.
According to the last published data for August 2025, bearing in mind that inflation was not high until then, the New Economy concludes that even 65 percent of employees cannot cover the average basket, while the lowest paid 30 percent of employees typically cover the minimum consumer basket or only up to 20 percent more than it, points out Pavle Medić from the Center for Advanced Economic Studies.
"The short-term better position of employees who are 'at the minimum wage' or close to it is visible in the months of the minimum wage correction, however, inflation melts that effect relatively quickly, especially at the beginning of the year when many prices, including the prices of public services, are adjusted. I will remind you that the official consumer basket is not a measure of a decent life. The minimum basket practically measures the maintenance of life and working abilities, while the average shows more how households spend in cramped conditions, than something that would be a really decent life," he says.
Serbia is one of the poorest countries in Europe
Statistical Agency of the European Union (EU), Eurostat, she announced 2025 real GDP per capita data for almost all European countries, and they show that Serbia is one of the poorest countries in Europe. GDP per capita is a better indicator of the standard of living of citizens than the total GDP, which representatives of the Serbian government often show when they want to emphasize "how well the citizens of Serbia are doing."
However, when the average real GDP per capita in the EU, which amounted to 33.530 euros in 2024, is compared with the GDP per capita in Serbia, which was 8.900 euros, the difference in wealth, i.e. poverty becomes clear.
Real GDP per capita in Serbia was not even 30 percent (26,6 percent) of the average real GDP per capita in the EU in 2024, "Danas" wrote.
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