Center for Democracy Foundation: One-Fifth of Citizens in Serbia at Risk of Poverty

Center for Democracy Foundation

In Serbia 19.9 percent of people live exposed to the risk of poverty while 27.2 percent are exposed to the risk of poverty or social exclusion, the Center for Democracy Foundation said on Oct. 17 on the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

It said that older citizens and the unemployed were at the greatest risk "which shows a serious lack of a systemic approach to fighting poverty."

It added that the Foundation actively endorsed achieving the number one objective of sustainable growth - rooting out poverty, in accordance with the U.N. Agenda 2030, which Serbia has accepted.

"We are working with our partners within the Sustainable Development for All Platform,  to leave no one behind and for the most threatened strata of society to receive proper support," the Foundation said.

As part of the Platform, the Center for Democracy said that a social protection strategy needed to be adopted,  as a key plan document which should have been adopted years ago. This document, the FCD said, would enable long-term reforms of the social protection system by securing the protection of the social rights guaranteed by Serbia's Constitution.