To mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, six associations promoting human rights and workers' rights said on Monday that the government must do more to ensure economic and social rights in Croatia, and called for a 20-percent increase of the legally mandated 3,750 kuna (€500) minimum net salary.

Nearly one in five Croatians, half of all women in single households, and half of everyone over 65 years of age who live alone are at risk of poverty, they said, adding that Croatia does not have an adequate response to reduce poverty or for a progressive exercise of social and economic rights.

“One in three single-parent families or families with older members are at risk of poverty, one in four Croatians barely make ends meet, and although over 19 percent of citizens are considered poor, only one percent receive welfare and exercise other related rights, the associations said,” state news agency Hina reported, without naming these associations.

“The welfare check of 1,000 kuna (€133) is not enough, and the minimum wage under 4,000 kuna (€532) is far from dignified, they said, adding that the minimum wage should increase by 20 percent so that Croatians can catch up with the current price increases,” Hina said.

One of the largest union alliances, the NHS, said that the pandemic, the two earthquakes from March and December 2020, and the historically high inflation rate had all added to increase the risk of poverty.

In an average household, food accounts for 25 percent of its monhtly spending, and housing for another 16 percent, but for those who are poorer, food accounts for over 50 percent and housing for over 30 percent, Hina cited the head of NHS, Kresimir Sever.

According to the Croatian Network Against Poverty, this year’s minimum wage is set at 3,750 kuna (€500). In 2021, the at-risk-of-poverty rate was 19.2 percent and was 0.87 percent higher than in 2020, while the number of welfare beneficiaries fell from 57,335 in 2020 to 50,151 last year, the associations whose names Hina did not mention said.

(€1 = 7.52 kuna)