Estimated subsistence minimum

The subsistence minimum is the minimum amount of means of subsistence required to cover a person's daily needs. It serves as the absolute poverty threshold. Subsistence minimum is calculated taking into account food and dwelling expenditures and individual non-food expenditures. Subsistence minimum does not include expenditures on alcohol, tobacco products, package tours, the purchase of transport equipment and expenses in restaurants and hotels.

The basis for calculating food expenditure is the minimum estimated food basket (2,400 kcal per day). It includes food products that cover a person’s daily need of nutrients, minerals and vitamins without causing health problems.

Dwelling expenditures are calculated on the basis of the data of the Household Budget Survey, distinguishing between regular and irregular expenditure.

The list of individual non-food expenditures includes about 200 expenditure categories, divided into eight bigger expenditure groups (expenditure on clothing and footwear, household, healthcare, education, communications, transport, recreation and miscellaneous expenditures).

The estimated subsistence minimum is adjusted each year with the consumer price index.