Fear of Poverty in Croatia Above the European Average

Concern over high living costs is shared by almost all Europeans, and citizens of Croatia stand out with their fear of poverty and social exclusion, as shown by the latest Eurobarometer.

As many as 93 percent of respondents in the EU expressed concern about rising living costs, reported the European Parliament.

Croatia is close to the average, with 91 percent of ‘concerned’ respondents, according to a survey conducted for the EP by Kantar.

A large number of Europeans fear both poverty and social exclusion, with as many as 82 percent. Croatia is significantly above the European average, with as many as 87 percent of respondents troubled by this fear.

Citizens of Croatia have also exceeded the average in their fear of the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and monkeypox, with a share of ‘concerned’ at 67 percent. At the EU level, this figure is 62 percent.

Difficulties with Income

Almost 60 percent of respondents in Croatia also state that they find it somewhat difficult or difficult to cover living costs with their income. At the EU level, difficulties were reported by slightly less than half of the respondents.

Most Europeans are not satisfied with the measures their governments and the EU are taking to address the crisis. 64 percent at the EU level are dissatisfied with the government response, and 56 percent with Brussels’ reaction.

In Croatia, 72 percent of respondents are not satisfied with government measures, and 62 percent with EU measures.

Important Support for the Economy

Among the priorities of the European Parliament, as many as 40 percent of respondents in Croatia highlighted the fight against poverty and social exclusion, three percentage points higher than at the EU level.

The main priority should, however, be support for the economy and job creation, which was highlighted by approximately 42 percent of Croats, compared to 31 percent of Europeans.

Public health took third place on the list of priorities, highlighted by 34 percent of respondents.

Opportunities for Work

Ahead of the 10th anniversary of Croatia’s EU membership, half of the respondents identified the opening of new job opportunities as the main advantage.

At the EU level, only 23 percent of respondents expressed this opinion.

A larger number of Croats also believe that access to the EU has improved the standard of living in Croatia, as concluded by 32 percent of Croatian respondents, compared to 18 percent at the Union level.

Almost the same percentage believes that EU accession has supported the growth of the Croatian economy and that the Union helps in maintaining peace and strengthening security, the survey results show.