Household expenses higher than income in Serbia

NEWS 14.09.201815:21
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The average monthly household expenses in Serbia were about 10 Euros higher than the average monthly income, the country’s statistics office said on Friday.

According to the Republic Statistics Office, Serbian households had an average monthly income of 62,831 Dinars in the second quarter of the year while expenses stood at 64,055 Dinars or 1,224 Dinars higher (1 Euro – 119 Dinars).  

Compared to the first quarter, income stood 0.5 percent higher while expenses stood 0.7 percent higher. Compared to the same period of the previous year income was 4.4 percent higher and expenses 4.2 percent higher.  

The Statistics Office said that 49.5 percent of household income was from salaries, 32.4 percent from pensions and the rest from social security payments, farming, fishing, hunting and other activities.  

The cost of food and beverages accounted for 34.1 percent of household expenses, housing, power, water, gas and other fuel accounted for 16.4 percent, transport 9.3 percent, clothing and footwear 5.5 percent while the rest of the expenses were for communication, alcohol and tobacco, recreation and culture, health care and other needs.  

The data was based on a poll of 1,575 households.