October the 19th, 2026 – An appalling 40% of Croatian retirees are now living in poverty according to the latest data, with soup kitchen use increasing in a country that keeps pushing the inflationary limits.
According to the latest data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, almost every fifth citizen of Croatia lives on the absolute brink of poverty. Index reports that for Croatian retirees, the figures are even more disgraceful, as almost 40% of them actually do live in poverty. What a staggering paradox it is when a country so full of highly expensive resorts and throngs of tourists is also dealing with growing queues in front of soup kitchens.
After decades of work, many people still do not have enough to live a dignified life. “In general, I think that the majority of pensioners don’t live with dignity. I consider a dignified life to be when a person who has worked for 40 years can in retirement live normally, afford to go to the theatre or cinema, and afford the majority of ordinary things,” stated Višnja Stanišić, president of the Croatian Pensioners’ Trade Union.
When a large part of the pension goes on utility bills, many have no choice but to seek help. In the soup kitchens they are greeted every day by volunteers. “Some come who don’t even have boxes to pack the food into, they come literally with ordinary plastic bags and pack the food into them. Quite a lot of poor people come,” volunteer Lovro Maričić revealed.
The situation is also worsened by Croatia’s constantly rising prices. Inflation in September amounted to a deeply concerning 4.7%, which is the second consecutive month of growth. The biggest cause is energy prices, which have risen by approximately 20%. Such growth hits those with the lowest incomes the hardest.
“Every single pensioner has their own personal inflation to try to deal with because they spend on five to six products whose prices have risen considerably more than the official rate, for some by as much as 10%,” Stanišić explained.
“We’ve proposed an amendment with which we’ll cover more than 30,000 pensioners living within the City of Zagreb. We intend to raise the threshold for financial assistance from a pension of 350 to 500 euros,” said Matej Mišić, president of the SDP of the City of Zagreb. While politicians announce more measures, in the soup kitchens the situation is getting harder and harder. “It could be said that the number of users is even higher than last year. Today was quite busy and a lot of people came,” volunteer Lovro Maričić concluded.
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