In 2022, the estimates showed that half a million elderly people in Czechia were living on the verge of poverty. High inflation has influenced this figure, as it has been rising year on year and was at a staggering 17% in 2022. In addition to this, most Czech senior citizens are surviving on their old age pensions alone, which is not sufficient enough to live on in the face of increasing living costs.  This is because the basic government pension has shown little change to the average wage working-age citizens receive. While the pension amounted to 30% of the average working wage in 1991, it had decreased to be worth just 10% in 2019.

The age dependency ratio in the country, otherwise known as the number of children and elderly people to the number of people of working age, is 58%. This figure is higher than that of other countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United States, which have an age dependency ratio of 50% and 54% respectively. Therefore it is clear that the elderly make up a significant amount of the population.

Behind Elder Poverty in Czechia

The age dependency ratio in the country, otherwise known as the number of children and elderly people to the number of people of working age, is 58%. This figure is higher than that of other countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United States, which have an age dependency ratio of 50% and 54% respectively. Therefore it is clear that the elderly make up a significant amount of the population, and so the fact that so many people are experiencing poverty is concerning.

In 2016, nine out of 10 elderly Czech people living in poverty were female, placing Czechia on the higher end of the scale of the EU’s table of statistics on the number of elderly women living in or at risk of poverty by country. A possible cause of this is the fact that elderly Czech women tend to receive less pension money, with their average monthly pension in 2014 amounting to just 10,000 crowns, and men’s averaging at 12,200.

Organizations Helping

While these figures may make the situation seem bleak, organizations are helping reduce the rate of elderly poverty in Czechia. The Olga Havel Foundation has introduced a program that aims to support the ageing population of Czechia. It makes contributions towards the cost of nursing care that elderly people, provides crisis helplines, contributes a transport allowance for care services and much more.

Apart from the governmental funding, members of the public and non-profit organizations can also make contributions. The scheme improves the quality of life of elderly people by removing the pressure of having to pay to access nursing and allows them to maintain their independence by giving them the option to be cared for in their own homes instead of in a retirement facility.

The Caritas Czech Republic also aims to help elderly people and other vulnerable groups in Czechia. It provides health and social care to a total of nearly 150,000 people a year. One of its projects is the Brno Diocesan Charity Rescue Network, which aims to assist vulnerable populations by enabling them to access health care and fulfill other basic needs.

Closing Remarks

While elder poverty in Czechia is a significant problem, it is evident that efforts are being made to lessen the extent of the issue. The Olga Havel Foundation, for example, is especially instrumental in the effort to prevent elder poverty in Czechia, with its program to cover the costs of in-home nursing care and other allowances that reduce the financial burden the elderly have to shoulder to meet their daily needs. The Caritas Foundation also makes valuable contributions to help those affected by poverty of all ages access health care and other necessities that their own money may not sufficiently cover.

– Sue-Joyce Headon

Sue-Joyce is based in Liverpool, UK and focuses on World News for The Borgen Project

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