Portal Nova.rs collected and compared data on the amount of pensions in the countries that were part of the former Yugoslavia. They state that pensioners in Serbia live a difficult life, given that the prices of basic foodstuffs are too high and pensions are too low, which – as we know – is not a Serbian peculiarity. However, the differences are still significant.
They show pensions in national currencies and in parallel in euros, but we will only transfer the amounts in euros. Nova.rs notes that senior citizens of Serbia are not at the bottom of the ranking in the region in terms of pensions, but…
The average pension received by the pensioners there is 340 euros, and the amount of the minimum pension is even more miserable and amounts to only 176 euros, which is by no means enough to live on. Since a 14.8 percent increase in pensions will arrive in January, this minimum amount will be 202 euros, which is still insufficient. And those who receive an average pension from January will be able to count on 390 euros.
Pensions were increased in Croatia this summer, so the lowest pension reached 346.79 euros, and the average 508.26 euros. Thus, compared to Serbia, Nova.rs notes, Croatian pensioners in both cases have incomes higher by around 170 euros.
They also checked pensions in Montenegro, where the minimum is currently close to 300 euros, which is 124 euros more than in their country. In addition, the Montenegrin government announced an increase in the lowest pension in January, and according to those announcements, starting next year, that amount will be drastically higher – 50 percent, or 450 euros, which will be 248 more than the increased lowest pension in Serbia.
The average pension in Montenegro is 425 euros, so 85 euros more than in Serbia, and even when Serbian pensioners get a raise, Montenegrins will still receive 35 euros more.
As for Bosnia and Herzegovina, official data show that the lowest pension for November in the Federation, which was then increased, was 228 euros, which is 52 euros more than in Serbia.
In the same month, the average pension in the Federation was 247.31 euros, which is less than in Serbia, by about 93 euros, and with the increase that will follow in January for Serbian pensioners, it will be in an advantage by about 143 euros.
In Republika Srpska, this year’s minimum pension amounts to 141.03 euros and is lower than that in Serbia by 35 euros, while the average is 277 euros, 99 less than in Serbia.
According to official announcements, pensions in Republika Srpska will also be increased by 10 percent, so the minimum amount should be 155, and the average 295 euros.
Also, the next adjustment will follow in January, when pensions will be increased by 8.2 percent, so the minimum will be around 375 euros, while those who have an average pension can count on new monthly incomes that will amount to 550 euros.
In European countries, pensions are drastically higher than in Serbia, notes Nova.rs, stating that, for example, singles in Austria receive an average of 1,100 euros per month, and those living with a partner 1,750. The average pension in
Germany is almost 1,400 euros, and in the Netherlands and more – 1800.
They did not include data for North Macedonia and Kosovo, which were part of Serbia, but neither Slovenia, so Croatian pensioners in this comparison of the countries of the former Yugoslavia where they speak the “same” language turn out to be the “richest”, although – we are convinced – that “comparative advantage” won’t make them too happy as they struggle to make ends meet. Differences in average cost of living were not reported.
