The country’s Prime Minister, Hristijan Mickoski, stated that the government’s policies to increase pensions are reducing the poverty rate.
“The Government’s position is clear, we can argue for the step we have taken, and confirmation that we have taken a good step are the announcements of the State Statistical Office that are coming out these days and are being commented on in public regarding the Laeken indicators, namely the poverty level, the Gini index, the unequal distribution of income. Here we have good news, and they are that the poverty rate is decreasing, if in 2021 it was 23 percent, now it is 21,9 in 2024, and in 2023 it was 22,2 percent. The Gini index, or the unequal distribution of income, if in 2023 it was 30,3, in 2024 it is 29,1 and is the best in the region, and when we look at the unequal distribution of income, it is even above the European average,” Mickoski emphasized in an interview for “Večer.mk”.
Mickoski emphasized that the Government’s decision to increase pensions will have a positive impact on reducing the poverty rate, with an emphasis on pensioners and a further decrease in the Gini index.
“Even in 2024, this indicator, the first linear increase of 2.500 denars was in November, which means that it has a small or insignificant impact on this parameter, and in 2025 I already expect to see that our decision on this type of pension increase will have a very positive impact on reducing the poverty rate with an emphasis on pensioners and with an additional reduction in the Gini index, i.e. the unequal distribution of income, which means a lot for the country because world agencies evaluate the state’s credit rating precisely based on such parameters,” said Mickoski.
He added that the Government remains committed to this policy that is yielding results.