Devastating statistics: As early as 2011, every sixth household in BiH was poor

The Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in cooperation with entity statistical institutes, is conducting this year the fourth Household Budget Survey in BiH, which is carried out every four years in accordance with international standards and methodological recommendations of EUROSTAT, enabling international comparability of data, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

The Household Budget Survey was conducted for the first time in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2004, then in 2007, and the last one in 2011.

Given that the survey for 2015 is underway, the Agency for Statistics of BiH provided some data from the last survey, i.e., from 2011.

In 2011, households spent an average of 1,569.33 KM per month on final consumption. The largest shares in average monthly household consumption were food and beverages (32.6%) and housing, electricity, gas, and other energy sources (24.0%). Housing accounted for 15.1% of total consumption, while water, energy, gas, and other utility expenses accounted for 8.9%. A significant portion of expenditures also went to transport (11.0%), which includes the purchase and use of vehicles and passenger transport services.

Of the total population in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 17.9% lived in relative poverty. Every sixth household in the country was poor. The relative poverty threshold was 416.40 KM per month per equivalent adult.

The main goal and purpose of the Household Budget Survey is to obtain data on the size and structure of household consumption in BiH, basic demographic and socio-economic characteristics of their members, housing conditions, sources and size of income, investments, social inclusion, health, and similar.

To obtain a complete picture, the survey collects data on expenditures for food and beverages, housing, furniture, clothing and footwear, health, transport, communications, recreation, culture and education, other goods and services, as well as information on household members (relationship to the household head, age, marital status, education, activity status, field of activity), and data on housing characteristics.

The mentioned results will serve as a basis for quality creation and implementation of socio-economic policies at all levels of social organization. In addition, the survey results will be used for professional and statistical purposes, such as calculating the consumer price index as a measure of inflation in the country, calculating gross domestic product using the expenditure method, and for academic purposes.