ZAGREB, 21 March (Hina) – According to data from the Survey on Income and Living Conditions conducted by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS), the at-risk-of-poverty rate in Croatia in 2024 was 20.3%, while 21.7% of people were at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
The poverty risk threshold in 2024 was €7,407 per year for a single-person household, while for a household with two adults and two children under the age of 14, it was €15,554, according to DZS data.
A total of 21.7% of people were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, while 2% experienced severe material and social deprivation.
A comparison of the basic at-risk-of-poverty rate with the rate before social transfers shows that excluding social transfers from income increases the percentage of people at risk of poverty from the basic 20.3% to 25.9%. If both social transfers and pensions are excluded from income, the at-risk-of-poverty rate rises to 39.4%.
According to DZS data, the average disposable income per household for the entire year 2024 was €23,092, while the average equivalent disposable income was €13,411.
Equivalent disposable income is calculated by dividing the total disposable income of a household by its equivalent size, determined according to the modified OECD scale. In this scale, the household head is assigned a coefficient of 1, each additional adult (aged 14 and older) a coefficient of 0.5, and children under 14 a coefficient of 0.3.
Poverty risk highest in Pannonian Croatia, lowest in Zagreb
In 2024, the at-risk-of-poverty rate in Pannonian Croatia was 29.7%, in Adriatic Croatia 21.2%, in the City of Zagreb 9.7%, and in Northern Croatia 17.4%.
The percentage of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion was 31% in Pannonian Croatia, 22.9% in Adriatic Croatia, 11.1% in the City of Zagreb, and 18.3% in Northern Croatia.
The at-risk-of-poverty rate for people under the age of 17 was 18.3%, while for those aged 65 and older, it was 37%.
In 2024, the poverty risk rate by employment status was highest for unemployed persons, reaching 40.5%.
Among households without dependent children, the highest at-risk-of-poverty rates in 2024 were found in single-person households, particularly those composed of individuals aged 65 and older (61.4%), and in households consisting of women, where the poverty risk rate was 57.5%.
Among households with dependent children, the highest at-risk-of-poverty rates were found in single-parent households (26.9%) and in households with two adults and three or more children (23.5%).
More than a third of households cannot afford a one-week vacation
According to the survey data from 2024, 4.6% of people lived in households that could not afford adequate heating during the coldest months, while 34.7% lived in households that could not afford a one-week vacation away from home for all members of the household.
Additionally, 34.9% of people lived in households unable to cover unexpected financial expenses from their own funds.
A total of 4.8% of people lived in households struggling to make ends meet, 15% in households that had difficulty doing so, and 40.6% in households that managed with minor difficulties. The lowest percentage of people (1.6%) lived in households that found it very easy to make ends meet.
The poverty indicators for Croatia were calculated using data collected in the 2024 Survey on Income and Living Conditions. This survey is conducted annually on a sample of randomly selected private households. Institutional households (such as homes for the elderly, prisons, long-term care hospitals, etc.) and island populations that form a distinct spatial unit due to reduced accessibility are not included, except for islands connected to the mainland by a bridge (Krk, Čiovo, Vir, Murte and Pag).
The survey collects data on gross and net household income, as well as income for all household members. It also gathers information on educational status, employment and activity status, health and childcare, financial and material living conditions, and other aspects of household living standards.
