North Macedonia households spend 40% of budgets on food, union warns
Eurostat data and union analysis find food and non‑alcoholic drinks take 40% of household budgets; a family of four needs 25,000 denars monthly for basic food.
The Union of Trade Unions of Macedonia says that while workers in North Macedonia are among the lowest paid in Europe, households spend the highest share of their budgets on basic food and non‑alcoholic drinks.
Eurostat figures show food dominates household budgets
Eurostat data cited by the union show that 40% of total household expenditure in North Macedonia goes on food and non‑alcoholic beverages — the highest share among the countries listed in the study.
The union highlighted the gap with wages: it calculated that food and non‑alcoholic drinks for a four‑member family require 25,000 denars, which represents nearly 96% of the minimum wage in North Macedonia. In other words, almost the entire minimum wage would be needed just to cover those basic items for a family of four.
After North Macedonia, the next largest shares reported were Albania at 34% and Kosovo at 32%. By comparison, Croatia’s share is 21%, while the European Union average stands at 16.28%.
The union’s analysis underlines a stark combination of low incomes and high basic living costs in North Macedonia, with food taking an unusually large portion of household spending.
Photo: David Bailey / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
