The findings indicate that the situtation of children and women in Serbia has not changed significantly over the last four years. However, the survey finds that children who are poor, live in rural areas and are members of the Roma community are lagging significantly behind in a number of key indicators. “In conditions of limited resources, which will be even scarcer in 2015, it is precisely this type of survey that helps us identify and focus our resources on priority areas,” said Michel Saint-Lot, UNICEF Representative in Serbia.
Some key findings from the survey include:
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The nutritional status of the children living in the poorest households of Serbia has deteriorated: 14 per cent are stunted today versus 9 per cent in 2010. The most vulnerable are still those from Roma settlements, where 19 per cent of children under 5 are stunted.
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Only 9 per cent of the children in the poorest household population and 6 per cent of Roma children aged 3 and 4 years attend early childhood education, compared to 82 per cent of children from the richest households.
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Twenty-two per cent of Roma children and 74 per cent of the children in the poorest household population attend secondary school, compared to the national average of 89 per cent.
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Ninety-four per cent of women in Serbia receive at least four antenatal care visits during pregnancy, versus 74 per cent of women in Roma settlements.
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Sixty per cent of children from Roma settlements receive a child allowance, and data indicate that those from the poorest households have the most difficulty obtaining this type of cash assistance.
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