Croatian Minister of Labour Marin Piletić said that the average salary in Croatia will reach 1,600 euros by the end of the Government's term, while the minimum wage will be 1,250 euros gross.

He pointed out that wages and pensions have grown faster than inflation in the past period and announced a new package of measures that should gradually reduce state subsidies, while preserving protection for the most vulnerable citizens.

When it comes to energy prices, the minister recalled that electricity has become up to 17 times more expensive on global markets since 2020, but that Government interventions prevented drastic blows to households and public institutions in Croatia, writes index.hr. The average monthly electricity bill currently amounts to around 50 euros, and thanks to subsidies citizens pay 40 euros. With the Government's gradual withdrawal from the measures, a slight price increase to 45 euros per household is expected.

Piletić emphasized that the Government has consistently helped pensioners with nine packages of measures. The previous one-off supplements are now becoming a permanent right. Instead of the energy supplement, a new annual supplement has been introduced, with the first payment planned for December, and the amount will depend on the years of pensionable service. The minister explained that the model will function like a kind of thirteenth pension, but it will not be equal to a full monthly payment.

“The supplement will be multiplied by years of service. More years of work also means a higher supplement,” said Piletić, confirming that all beneficiaries will be entitled to the payment at the same time, after the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute calculates the amounts for more than one million two hundred thousand pensioners. He also noted that a digital system is being prepared that should speed up the process.

The average pension in Croatia currently amounts to slightly less than 700 euros, and with the new annual supplement it should exceed that threshold by the end of the year. “We expect the average pension to soon be above 700 euros, and our political goal is to raise it to more than 800 euros by the end of the term,” Piletić concluded.