Construction
New economy: Social housing has not been built in Belgrade for ten years
In Belgrade in the last 10 years, not a single apartment for the most socially vulnerable has been built, according to the data of the organization A11
Social policy
Statistical games: Why is absolute poverty no longer measured in Serbia?
After the statement by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, that the poor in Serbia live significantly better than before, we asked the question: on the basis of what information did he arrive at that data and how does Serbia measure poverty in general
Economy
Radonjić: Two million citizens on the threshold of poverty
"Serbia is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, after Russia and Ukraine, it is third on the European list of countries in terms of the strength of organized crime," says Ognjen Radonjić, full professor of economics at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade.
Standard of living
Golden age: Every fifth citizen of Serbia is at risk of poverty
"The authorities lie, they present a fictitious picture to convince people that they have never been better off, and in fact the current protests show that people have realized that they are being lied to and that they know how they live," sociologist Slobodan Cvejić told Vreme.
Factories leave, workers stay
The specter of unemployment is circling the south of Serbia
Benetton's announcement that it is closing its plant in Niš means that more than 900 people in that city will lose their jobs. Other factories in the south of Serbia, such as Johnson Electric, Jure and Aptiva, have problems that could lead to an additional increase in unemployment. What should the state do so that workers stop being cheap and replaceable labor force
Sorrow in the South
How the distance Vranje - Belgrade of 342 kilometers turned into a gap of 342 years
Once known for its colorful spirit and industry, Vranje is now experiencing a mass exodus of residents. Poverty, low wages and poor working conditions have taken their toll, while the city remains trapped in a maelstrom of political and economic problems. While sausages and dried meat are offered to guests, many residents of Vranje barely make ends meet
Growing inequality
The wealth of billionaires keeps growing while hunger affects hundreds of millions of people
Last year brought another 204 new billionaires, and the wealth of the world's richest people increased by two trillion dollars, according to a report by Oxfam. At the same time, 733 million people do not have enough food
Four walls as the only desire
Holidays and homeless people
As we celebrate the New Year, someone sleeps on cardboard, covered with a blanket so thin it curls up against the wall. While we're celebrating Christmas, someone is hungry and can't get to the doctor because they don't have a document. He is sick and lost, he didn't get support when he needed it, and he doesn't have it today. The system turns a blind eye to people in a situation of homelessness. And how are they doing these days?
Interview: Marija Todorova
European identity is shared only by bureaucrats in Brussels
"Today, the discourse on the Balkans focuses on corruption and poverty. For example, if you read the news, even when Bulgaria is presented as an attractive tourist destination, it will always be described as 'the poorest country'. That adjective cannot be omitted. Of course, Bulgarians are now waiting for a poorer country to join the European Union so that they can finally stop being the 'poorest'. Poverty is criminalized, it is considered something bad, almost a moral flaw"
World Food Programme
733 million people are hungry in the world
Every 11th inhabitant of the Earth faces hunger, while global conflicts and crises further threaten the availability of food for millions of people around the world. On the eve of World Food Day, an estimated 733 million are hungry
Standard of living
Average salaries in Serbia and the region: Where did the salary increase the most in three years?
In May, the average net salary exceeded 100.000 dinars, boasted the President of the Republic, Aleksandar Vučić, on Instagram. While he talks about the results of "visionary politics", the reality is a bit different
Standard of living
Average salary of 100.000 dinars: Statistical overview Vučić Aleksandra
Although Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić boasts an average salary of over 100.000 dinars, 800.000 people in Serbia live in absolute poverty, and 60 percent barely make ends meet. The average "pulls out" a few cities, while in other places they make a living
Poverty and the environment
Wasted food could feed the whole of Serbia
An initiative to abolish VAT on donated food was submitted to the Serbian Parliament. Solving the problem of food waste and facilitating food donations would have an impact on poverty reduction, but also on the preservation of natural resources, which are becoming less and less.
Strategy for social protection
How to survive in Serbia: Cash assistance for a family of three, 21.013 dinars
The UNICEF poverty projection in Serbia for 2023 shows that 12,1 percent of Serbian citizens, about 800.000 people, are in absolute poverty. And for fifteen years, the state has not had a Social Protection Strategy that would improve services and social security. In addition, the system lacks from 700 to 1000 professional staff
Poverty in Serbia
Cash social assistance increased by 229 dinars: Not even for survival
Cash social assistance for individuals from April to October this year amounts to 11.674 dinars, which is 229 dinars higher than in the previous half-year. Danilo Ćurčić from the Initiative for Economic and Social Rights A 11 tells "Vreme" that this "increase" is the result of adjustment with the consumer price index in the previous six months, but also that this adjustment does not fully correspond to inflation and the overall increase in the cost of living
Energy Industry
In Serbia, over a million households live in energy poverty
According to the analysis of the Ministry of Space, over a million households in Serbia do not have the ability to provide the necessary amount of energy for a healthy life. And in order to save energy inside the building, which implies energy transition measures, certain investments and an economic standard are necessary, which the citizens of Serbia generally do not have.
Research
Women in Serbia are more exposed to the risk of poverty than men
Elderly people in Serbia rate their health significantly worse than their peers living in the EU
Inclusion
In their shoes
"Poverty has profound consequences for children. They believe that they are invisible, unimportant, that no one notices them and that they do not deserve love. For them, playing music is a way to realize that they are worth it, that they can achieve much, even much more than they themselves expected" - Đurđa Papazoglu, director of the "Music of Hope" program
Social assistance
Social card law: From bad to worse
The sharp decrease in the number of recipients of social assistance, which coincides with the introduction of the Social Card Law, is in sharp contrast to the high rates of absolute poverty in Serbia, which amounts to seven percent of the total population
Standard
In Serbia, 250.000 households live on 250 euros per month
According to the data of the Republic Institute of Statistics, by far the largest part of the family budget is spent on food and soft drinks. Inflation hit everyone, but the poorest the most
Economy
Every fifth citizen of Serbia is at risk of poverty
Danilo Ćurčić from the Initiative for Economic and Social Rights A11 tells the portal "Vremena" that there is a problem of understanding poverty in Serbia, as well as that one of the key problems is the lack of will to solve the issues of poverty and social policy
Overview of the week
Obilić, is it you: Is that what I should be afraid of?
What is the situation in the country before the elections scheduled by Vučić for December 17, better than analysts and politicians, the prices in stores, the condition in hospitals or courts, and comparison with abroad - including the closer ones. Whatever the opposition, there is no other instrument for punishing the government
Society
"Pretty loud": Early marriages are a mistake
Zlata Ristić and Silvia Sinani Ibrahimović, members of the first Romani female band in the world, say that "we should never think of marriage at the age of 16, because then is not the time, we are still children then."
Poverty
Due to the new law, 28.000 people are without social assistance
The non-governmental sector estimates that due to the implementation of the new law, 28.000 people were left without social assistance. The Ministry of Labor does not dispute that some have lost this right, but they emphasize that these are cases in which there were abuses.
What we buy and what we give up
Economic tiger and hungry citizens
The minimum consumer basket for a household of three for the month of May this year was 51.874,39 dinars. With that amount, among other things, it is foreseen that the family can buy 500 grams of hake or 200 grams of lemons per month. Seasonal fruit was not even mentioned, I guess that's a luxury. In short, with the minimum net income from 2023, you could cover the minimum consumer basket, but from 2019. And since 2019, the prices have been going up and up
The World
Spain: Universal inheritance of 20.000 euros for 18-year-olds
Spanish Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz has proposed a scheme to tackle social inequality that involves giving every young person in the country 20.000 euros, which, when they turn 18, they can spend on education, training or entrepreneurial ventures. The opposition, on the other hand, reminds us of the high rate of unemployment and poor families who "barely last until the end of the month".
Region
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 600.000 people left in ten years
According to United Nations data, every sixth household in Bosnia and Herzegovina is poor, and 15 percent of citizens live in absolute poverty.