Living Standards Measurements Study - Serbia 2002 - 2007

8.1.6. General education data
obtained in LSMS/2002 and
LSMS/2007
According to LSMS 2002 data, 14 percent of
the Serbian population was poor. According to data
from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) in 2002, 10.6
percent of Serbian population was poor. Over the
past five years number of the poor has nearly
halved, so that it was 6.6 percent in 2007. The
absolute poverty line for 2007 is 8 883 dinars per
consumer unit. In the last five years, the uneducated
population is most heavily represented among the
unemployed, children, households with six or more
members, and households outside urban areas.
One of the primary causes of poverty is the
low education level of the population 7 . The greatest
proportion of the poor in 2002 and 2007 are found
among families where the head of household has no,
or only partial, primary education (67 percent in
2002, 41 percent in 2007). Only 0.7 percent (2002),
1.7 percent (2007) of families where the head of
household has a post-secondary non-university and
university education is poor. Almost half of the
households where the highest education level of the
most educated household member is primary school
are amongst the poorest households. Whereas, only
7 percent of households where the most educated
member has an academic degree are amongst the
poorest households. On the other hand, amongst the
wealthiest, 55 percent of the households have
members with academic degrees, while only 5
percent of the households from this group have
members whose highest education level is a
completed primary school, or less.
Among the ranks of the unemployed, 37
percent have completed primary education. Among
those under 25 years of age, 6 484 are illiterate (3.4
percent of illiterates in overall population).
Unemployment is one of the most serious economic
and social issues faced by Serbia. According to data
from the 2005 LFS, the unemployment rate was 22
percent, while the average unemployment rate in
EU countries was 9 percent. The unemployment
rate among the young population (15-24) is 48
percent, which is three times higher than the EU
countries (19 percent).
Regions which are most vulnerable to poverty
(South-East, East and West Serbia) are at the same
time the regions with the greatest proportion of
households where the most educated household
members have only received a primary education, or
do not have any primary education.
The following graphs show relative deviations
from the average encompassing all levels of
education in 2007, relative to household
consumption, type of settlement and attained
educational level of the household head.
In urban areas, all deviations from the mean
for attendance within different education levels are
positive, and are most evident for pre-school
attendance (+28 percent). In non-urban settlements,
all deviations from the mean are negative, and are
most evident for pre-school attendance (-43 percent)
and institutions for higher education (-34 percent).
Differences in attendance of primary education in
relation to settlement type are lowest, which is
understandable, due to primary education being
compulsory. In comparison to 2002, the differences
in attendance for preschool institutions in relation to
settlement type have increased, while differences in
post-secondary non-university and university
attendance have decreased. Children from nonurban
settlements have the lowest enrolment level in
compulsory preschool education.
In households where the head of household has
a low education level, all deviations from the mean
for attendance within different education levels are
negative, the most apparent being for kindergarten
attendance (-61 percent), post-secondary nonuniversity
and university attendance (-52 percent)
and preschool attendance (-31 percent). For
households where the head of household has an
academic degree, all deviations form the mean are
positive, and are most evident for kindergarten
attendance (+66 percent), post-secondary nonuniversity
and university attendance (+85 percent)
and preschool attendance (+17 percent). The lowest
differences with respect to the education level of the
head of household are evident for primary school
attendance (from -4 to +3). Results for all levels are
similar to those obtained for 2002, apart from
preschool education, where the difference has
increased.
96 Living Standards Measurements Study - Serbia 2002 - 2007