Zagreb (IKA) – Results of a study entitled “Monitoring Poverty in Croatia,” conducted in March and April of last year on a sample of 1,216 adult citizens of Croatia by the Center for the Promotion of the Social Doctrine of the Church of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and Croatian Caritas, showed that 29.2% of the population is living below the poverty line. The relative poverty line for single-person households was calculated as 1,500 kunas monthly income, for two-person households 2,250 kunas, for households with two adults and one child 2,700 kunas, and for households with two adults and two children 3,150 kunas.

The results presented to the public on January 11 at the Secretariat of the Croatian Conference of Bishops in Zagreb showed that 40.9% of the citizens who live below the relative poverty line do not consider themselves to be poor. Similar results were also obtained in connection with the relative poverty line and the subjective assessment of poverty in a question for the entire household, where 37.7% of the citizens who are below the relative poverty line stated that their households, taking into account their total monthly income, did not live in poverty.

Comparing the place of residence and the relative poverty line, the study confirmed that 40.1% of the persons below the poverty line had spent most of their lives in villages, and that only 12.7% of impoverished persons had spent most of their lives in cities. The results of the study showed that among persons with only elementary school educations, the largest percentage is living below the poverty line, 42.4%, and among persons with college educations, 13.5%. The age structure of poverty showed that among persons over 70 years old, 43.5% are living in poverty, and between the ages of 55 to 69 years of age, 35.2%. The smallest percentage of impoverished persons is in the group between 25 and 34 years of age.

Regarding the balance of income and expenditures in households, 61.1% of the impoverished households have a negative balance in their household budget, and in 25.7% of the impoverished households the amount of 500 kunas remains after all expenses are paid. Of those who are not impoverished, 12.3% have a negative balance between income and expenditures, while for 55% of those who are over the poverty line the amount of 2,000 or more kunas remains after all expenses have been paid.

When asked whether they were prepared to accept retraining, additional schooling, courses or seminars in order to advance at work, receive higher salaries or find employment, 56.6% of the impoverished persons replied in the negative, and only 29% of the impoverished persons showed a readiness for retraining or additional schooling. The study showed that there was the most poverty in single-person households (41%) and two-person households (36.1%), as a rule elderly persons. In response to the question of what is the lowest monthly income above which a family is not poor, the majority of the subjects estimated it to be approximately 5,000 kunas.

In response to being asked what would be the most effective way to reduce poverty in Croatia, 40.7% of the impoverished citizens said greater government assistance, 43.8% more rapid and stronger development of industrialization, and 32.3% greater incentives for agriculture. Among those who are over the poverty line, 58.4% believe that greater industrial development would best help people to escape poverty, and 29.7% believe that it would be the development of small enterprises. The study showed, for example, that increasing the educational level in the society and the development of new technology are not perceived as factors that would contribute to the reduction of poverty. Furthermore, a small number of subjects believe that an effective way of reducing poverty would be for poor people to take better care of themselves or receive greater assistance from the Church.

These results were presented by Krunoslav Nikodem, an assistant professor of sociology at the College of Liberal Arts, University of Zagreb; Gordon Črpić, the head of the Center for the Promotion of the Social Doctrine of the Church of the Croatian Conference of Bishops; and Dr. Stjepan Baloban, the head of the Department of the Social Doctrine of the Church at the Catholic College of Theology, University of Zagreb in Zagreb. Dr. Baloban said that it is necessary to begin to speak about citizens living on credit cards and debt, pointing out that a life of indebtedness leads to a future of poverty.

The president of Croatian Caritas, Auxiliary Bishop Josip Mrzljak of Zagreb, mentioned that there are two levels of solidarity provided by Caritas in the world. Short-term solidarity is practiced in parish branches or special campaigns but it is also necessary to develop long-term solidarity in order to eliminate the causes of the problem, for which a clear picture of the situation is necessary.
The head of Croatian Caritas, Ivan Milovčić, presented Caritas’ programs that are in progress, among which are small social programs for persons in difficult material circumstances, a campaign for assistance to the victims of the tsunami in Asia, Diakonia pharmacies to assist ill and poor persons, a credit program being developed for small entrepreneurs, an existing program for building peace, and Caritas has initiated a project for the establishment and development of a network of Church-operated family counseling centers.