Jan Boubín comments on the cost of living in Czechia for TV Nova

Despite falling inflation, one in ten Czechs now lives below the poverty line. Jan Boubín, economist and lecturer at NEWTON University, appeared on TV Nova's flagship news program to analyze the current state of household budgets and explain why statistical income growth is not felt equally across all regions and social groups.

New data from the Statistical Office reveals that one million people fell below the income poverty line last year, with single parents and elderly people living alone remaining the most vulnerable groups. Jan Boubín of NEWTON University points out in the report that while the economy is gradually recovering following the pandemic and energy crisis, the gap between major cities and struggling regions continues to widen. While wages are rising in economic hubs, those in rental housing in regions like Ústí nad Labem or Moravia-Silesia are spending up to a third of their income on housing alone. The report also features a debate on the effectiveness of state aid and the introduction of a new "super-benefit" system.