The at-risk-of-poverty rate in 2022 was 18 percent, which is 1.2 percent less than in 2021 and is the lowest since the national Bureau of Statistics (DZS) has been measuring these indicators, and the elderly, unemployed, single households and especially women are hit the most.

These are the results of the Population Income Survey published by the DZS on Friday. The risk of poverty rate does not show how many people are really poor, but how many of them have an income below the risk of poverty threshold, the CBS explained.

The at-risk-of-poverty threshold in 2022 for a one-person household was HRK 39,600 per year, while it was HRK 83,160 for a household with two adults and two children under the age of 14.

Regarding the regions, the data show considerable differences. Thus, the at-risk-of-poverty rate for Pannonian Croatia is 25.9 percent, for Adriatic Croatia 18.2 percent, for Northern Croatia 16 percent and for the City of Zagreb 9.5 percent.

In 2022, there were 20 percent of people in Croatia who are at risk of poverty or are in severe material and social deprivation or live in households with low work intensity, which is one percent less than in 2021.

The at-risk-of-poverty rate was the highest among persons aged 65 or older and amounted to 32.4 percent. In this age group, the difference by gender is the largest, so the at-risk-of-poverty rate for women was 36.5 percent, and for men 26.6 percent.

The at-risk-of-poverty rate was the highest for unemployed persons and amounted to 42.6 percent.

In households without dependent children, the highest risk rates were in single-member households, namely in those made up of persons aged 65 or older – 56.5 percent, and in those made up of women – 54.4 percent.

The highest risk rates are present in households consisting of one parent with dependent children – 24.9 percent, and in households with two adults with three or more children, for which the risk rate was 23.3 percent.

Seven percent of the population cannot afford heating

Regarding material and social deprivation, the data show that in 2022 there were 44.8 percent of people living in households that could not cover an unexpected financial expense from their own funds (amount of HRK 2,950) and 41.7 percent of people whose households they cannot afford a week’s annual leave away from home for all members.

There were also 15.7 percent of people whose households in the last 12 months were late in paying their obligations due to financial difficulties, and seven percent of people whose households could not afford heating in the coldest months.

About 8.4 percent of people live in households that could not afford at least five of the thirteen items of material and social deprivation solely due to financial reasons.

At the same time, the rate of severe material and social deprivation, i.e. the percentage of those who could not afford at least seven items, is four percent in 2022, which is 0.5 percent more than in 2021.

The results of the research also show that the smallest percentage of people, only 1.5 percent, live in households that easily make ends meet.

Child poverty correlates with parents’ level of education and employment, and data for Croatia show that the rate of material deprivation for children living in households with lower parental education is 29.5 percent, while the rate of material deprivation for children living in households with high by parents’ education 1.5 percent.

Both rates are significantly lower than the EU average.

The population income survey is a survey based on the calculation of indicators of poverty and social exclusion for Croatia, and it was introduced into the statistical system of Croatia in 2010. The implementation is aligned with EU regulations and Eurostat’s methodology, and the survey is conducted by all member states on an annual basis.

The size of the sample on which the Survey was conducted in 2022 was 12,031 households, and the response rate at the household level was 73 percent.