Vucic Says Pensions Rise to 545 Euros From December 1

The average pension in Serbia should soon climb to 540 to 545 euros, up from 204 euros 12 years ago. President Aleksandar Vucic said so on Friday, September 4, while touring the North Backa District, and for the first time named a specific date for the increase: December 1 of this year, rather than the start of the next one.

The Srpske Novine portal had previously reported only that figures on wages and pensions would be known within three to four days. The president has now specified both the date the increase takes effect and the approximate amount, though the percentage of the raise itself has not yet been announced. He made the remarks while speaking with residents of Mali Idjos:

On September 14, you’ll receive 20,000, 27,500 and 35,000 dinars, and then another 6,000 dinars on September 22. In the meantime, you’ll find out by what percentage we’re raising pensions, not from next year, but from December 1 this year.

How much will the average pension be?

Repeating the point during a visit to the Stankovic farm in Bagremovo, near Backa Topola, Vucic said the average pension will land at roughly 540 to 545 euros after the increase. Tanjug and Telegraf reported the same range. Kurir framed the same figure differently in its headline, as “almost 550 euros.” The exact percentage of the raise, which would settle that discrepancy, has not been disclosed. Vucic said only that it would be announced in the coming days.

By comparison, the average pension in Serbia stood at 204 euros 12 years ago. Vucic pointed to that gap as evidence of progress, noting that the figure does not include the one-time payments made during and after the COVID pandemic.

One-time aid starting September 14

Beyond the announced permanent increase, pensioners will also receive one-time aid starting September 14, worth 20,000, 27,500 or 35,000 dinars depending on the size of their pension. Eight days later, on September 22, a payment of 6,000 dinars follows for all adult citizens, regardless of pensioner status. Vucic laid out both dates himself, in the same remarks where he announced the December increase.

A letter to pensioners, and the public debt

Part of the visit was devoted to defending a letter the president had earlier sent to pensioners, which he said drew criticism from the broadcaster N1. Vucic argued the letter was paid for with party funds rather than state money, and that doing so, through postage, brought revenue to Serbia’s state postal operator, Posta Srbije:

They’re attacking me for writing the letter (to pensioners). And for paying for it with party funds.

The president added that the letter did not cite specific figures, but rather thanked pensioners for their contribution to the country’s development. In the same appearance, he also cited a public debt figure: when he became prime minister, it stood at 79% of gross domestic product, and today, by his account, it is around 43%. Independent confirmation of that comparison was not available as of September 4; it rests on Vucic’s own statement.

A new road to Becej

The same day, during a visit to the meat processing company Topola in Backa Topola, Vucic also announced the start of work on a 25 kilometer road between Backa Topola and Becej:

We’ll build the road toward Becej, the 25 kilometer one, we’re now going to do the first seven to eight kilometers right away. In two to three days you’ll already see machines there.

According to that announcement, construction on the first seven to eight kilometers should begin within two to three days, with the rest of the route built in later phases. The president used the North Backa District visit to also discuss subsidies and milk prices with farmers, but the day’s central message remained the pension announcement: pensioners, according to Vucic, are set to learn the exact percentage of the increase in the coming days, before it takes effect on December 1.