The trade union consumer basket calculated by the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SSSBiH) for August 2024 amounted to 3,379 Bosnian marks (some € 1,727).

The average salary paid in the Federation of BiH (FBiH) entity for June 2024 was 1,351 marks (some €690), which is the latest data published by the FBiH Bureau of Statistics. The minimum wage according to the decision of the FBiH Government is 619 marks (some €310) with the coverage of the consumer basket by the average salary of 39.98 percent.

The consumer basket coverage by the minimum wage is 18.32 percent, the SSSBiH said.

When creating the union consumer basket, the average salary paid in the FBiH and the minimum living expenses of a four-member family consisting of two adults and two children, one of whom is in high school and the other in elementary school, were taken into account. The consumer basket itself consists of the following categories: food – 38.84 percent, housing and utility services – 12 percent, hygiene and health maintenance – 7.8 percent, education and culture – 20.71 percent, clothing and footwear – 10.65 percent, transportation – 4.08 percent, household maintenance – 5.92 percent.

In the food category, prices from three shopping centers were used for 86 items. When it comes to hygiene and health maintenance, expenses for ten items were counted, and for housing and utility services, expenses for six items were taken into consideration, the SSSBiH concluded.