4.1 General context
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Main challenges to social inclusion
According to the National Plan to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion 2021-2027, enacted by the Decision of the Croatian Government in December 2021, ten groups at the highest risk are identified:
- children and youth
- the elderly and pensioners
- homeless individuals
- the unemployed, especially the long-term unemployed
- single households, single-parent families, children without parental care, and families with more than two children
- returnees and displaced persons, asylum grantees, foreigners under subsidiary protection, asylum seekers, individuals living in deprived and rural areas
- national/racial/religious minorities
- children and young adults with behavioural problems, victims of crime, especially victims of trafficking and domestic violence
- children with disabilities
- Croatian veterans and victims of the Homeland War and members of their families, as well as civilian victims of the Homeland War and members of their families, facing challenges such as poverty, social exclusion, disability, unemployment, illness, unresolved housing, difficult social contacts, lack of family support, etc.
The causes of poverty and social exclusion are typically multidimensional, with risk categories often overlap. Nowadays, a significant number of young people at risk of social exclusion may not fit into the established classification of minority groups (such as young Roma, young people with disabilities, young people without adequate parental care, etc.).
Modern challenges, such as the high youth unemployment rate in the Republic of Croatia and the prolonged dependence on parents, have resulted in increasing number of young people at risk of social exclusion across categories of education, housing, employment, poverty, and health care.
Given the significant differences in the characteristics of young people at risk of social exclusion, the involvement of various support systems is needed. Therefore, it is important to coordinate the efforts of all stakeholders across various levels of society and in different domains, particularly in employment and education. The transition from education to employment poses the highest risk and warrants focused attention.
In the realm of youth unemployment, positive shifts occurred between 2016 and 2020. However, the unemployment rate remains high (please refer to the Chapter 3.1.). Moreover, the study Needs, Problems and Potentials of Youth in Croatia (Ilišin and Spajić-Vrkaš, 2015)revealed that young people themselves consider unemployment as their most significant challenge. Unemployment directly affects their capacity for independence, future planning, skill development, and educational enrichment.
Furthermore, in Croatia, the poverty and social exclusion rate for young people aged 15-29 stood at 14.2% in 2022. This percentage has consistently decreased since 2011 when the risk was at 34.8%, according to EUROSTAT.
Main concepts
The National Plan to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion 2021-2027 emphasises the differentiation between poverty and social exclusion.
The term ‘poverty’ is primarily defined as a lack of material or financial assets. The term ‘social exclusion’ has a wider meaning, denoting a relatively permanent, multiply conditioned, and multidimensional deprivation of an individual. Social exclusion involves more than a lack of money or material goods. In addition to economic aspects, it includes social, cultural, political, and other dimensions. This implies that anti-exclusion policies presume improved access to institutions and other mechanisms of social integration.
The National Plan to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion 2021-2027 adopts the European Commission's definition of social exclusion. It describes it as a process that marginalises individuals, hindering their full participation in society due to factors such as poverty, a lack of basic competences, limited opportunities for lifelong learning, or discrimination. Social exclusion is affected by a series of various and interconnected factors, such as regional inequality, unemployment, poor professional or social skills, low income, bad housing conditions, belonging to a minority group, etc. It includes the inability of the individual to access public services, participate in community life, and function in society with a sense of personal dignity.