Besides the fact that most pensioners cannot make ends meet, their position in society is very unenviable. How much will the pension increase of 10,9 percent help them?
In Serbia, 1.652.900 pensioners received an average pension of 45.719 dinars in October. With the announced increase of 10,9 percent in January, it can be expected that the average pension will be around 50.000 dinars. In the last year, pensions have increased by 20 percent, but without adjusting for inflation.
66,5 percent of pensioners receive the old-age pension, 13,9 percent the disability pension, and 19,6 percent the family pension, writes Anica Kovačević for The new economy.
According to the PIO fund, the nominal growth of average pensions from September 2023 to 2024 is 20,95 percent. However, although pensions nominally actually increased by 20,95 percent, when taking into account September's year-on-year inflation of 4,2 percent, the real purchasing power of pensioners increased by about 16,75 percent.
This means that pensioners can afford approximately 16 percent more goods and services than before the increase in pensions, writes New Economy.
Currently, 10.000 pensioners receive the smallest pension of up to RSD 62.544, which is 3,8 percent.
On the other hand, 15.000 pensioners receive a pension of up to 37.235 dinars, which is about 2,3 percent.
However, looking at the range of pensions received by the largest number of persons, 12 percent of them receive pensions between 20.000 and 24.987 dinars, while 13,1 percent of them receive pensions between 60.000 and 80.000 dinars.
The lowest amount of full pension is 24.987 dinars, which is received by 9,35 percent of pensioners in Serbia, and there are 131.545 of them.
In central Serbia, which includes Belgrade, 1.214.930 pensioners receive pensions, and the average pension in that part of the country is 45.553 dinars.
There are 409.521 pensioners in Vojvodina, where the average pension is 46.301 dinars, while in Kosovo and Metohija there are 28.449 pensioners who receive a pension from the budget of Serbia, whose average value is 44.136 dinars.
The everyday life of the elderly in Serbia is sad, long and difficult
Data on the elderly in Serbia are devastating, as evidenced by everyday scenes - the poor, undervalued, invisible, often mistreated, sick.
Every fifth person in the Republic of Serbia is older than 65 years, according to the data of the last population census from 2022. In Serbia, women live an average of 78,7 years, and men 74.
Although the average life expectancy is longer, life itself is more difficult. Analysis of the Commissioner for the Protection of Gender Equality on the position old she showed that, "a considerable number of the elderly live in poverty or are at risk of becoming poor, some are exposed to abuse and neglect, self-neglect, disrespect, marginalization, even reducing it to a "thing".
They are discriminated against due to financial status, disability, place of residence or gender.
Although pensioners make up a third of the electorate, according to data from the "Nezavisnost" trade union, their influence on the political decision-making process is completely marginalized.
In society, there are dominant stereotypes and prejudices about the inability of the elderly to make rational decisions and disrespect for their autonomy, but also other stereotypes such as those that the elderly are incompetent, a burden on society and a burden.
Difficult to health care
When it comes to realizing the right to health care, as stated in the special report of the Commissioner for Equality, realizing the right to health care should not be a problem for any citizen, regardless of place of residence, diagnosis, age and other characteristics.
As a consequence of depopulation and migration, certain health care institutions, especially primary health care (health centers and clinics), in rural areas of Serbia are closed, which leads to the difficulty of availability of these services to the rural, mostly elderly population. Home care and assistance services in these areas are also rarely established due to the small number of inhabitants and the sparseness of the area.
Integrated services at the local level, which include help for geronto-housewives, palliative care and care for patients in the terminal stages of the disease, are not sufficiently developed, there are not enough geriatric beds and opportunities for institutional care of these people.
Expected increase in poverty
According to data from the aforementioned analysis by the Center for Democracy, the estimated poverty rate of the elderly in 2022 was over 12 percent, which is almost twice as high compared to the level before the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and rising inflation due to the war in Ukraine, while, according to projections, the researcher expects further growth in the absolute and relative poverty of the elderly in the coming years.
According to the PIO fund, last year the average pension amounted to about 37.800 dinars, while slightly more than one and a half million people receive pensions.
Almost half a million pensioners have incomes lower than guaranteed, that is, less than 24.987 dinars.
As many as 10 pensioners have incomes of up to 61 dinars, according to the Union of Pensioners "Nezavisnost".
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