SERBIA: Corruption & more – 9th July 2024

. Around eighty-five percent of the respondents said that individuals need a monthly salary of at least 1,200 dollars. Around fourteen percent said that the ideal salary would be 800 dollars, while only one percent of the respondents thought that the current median salary of around 600 dollars would be enough. However, no one mentioned the minimum wage, which is slightly more than 400 dollars. The data from the State Statistical Office shows that the cost of a minimum consumer basket is around 500 dollars, proving that the minimum wage does not cover the cost of basic expenses.

On that note about surveys, last week, the Hello 20s platform published the results of a survey on the living and health habits of twenty-year-olds in Serbia. According to the results, nearly a quarter of the respondents suffered from depression and anxiety, while half of them seeked some form of psychological support from professionals in the past. Psychotherapists also pointed out that Serbia does not have trained individuals who can provide psychological first aid, which aims to provide urgent help and assist in a recovery following a traumatic event. The survey showed that young people in Serbia do not have quality sleep, proper nutrition, or enough time spent in nature, and they haven’t achieved a balance between work and free time.

More on health, as German pharmaceutical company STADA published its annual health report, which is based on the answers from 46,000 participants from Serbia and twenty-two other countries. The report showed that more than fifty percent of the respondents were dissatisfied with healthcare systems in their countries, because of staff shortages and a general distrust of those in charge of creating policies, such as patient care and code of ethics policies. When it comes to mental health, more than fifty percent of the respondents said that they are struggling with loneliness - a trend which is more prominent among the younger generations.

In lighter news, from the 15th of June until Thursday the 4th of July, students from Serbia competed and won awards at the International Mathematics Summer Camp twenty twenty-four at the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences in China. The competition featured more than 200 students from over thirty countries. Team Serbia consisted of six students under nineteen, and they one first place prize, three second and two third prizes.

And to wrap up this edition, Novi Sad will host its 24th annual award-winning EXIT festival from the 10th to the 14th of July, under the slogan Awakening our superpowers together. More than 1,000 artists will perform at over forty stages and festival zones, including Black Eyed Peas, DJ Carl Cox, Gucci Mane, and Tom Morello. For more information, check out the link in the show notes!

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

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