Households have more cash to burn

  • 2003-04-10
TALLINN

The average monthly disposable income per household member was 2,500 kroons (160 euros) in Estonia last year, an increase of 9 percent over 2001, the Statistical Office reported on April 3.

Expenditure per household member was 2,465 kroons, which is 6 percent more than in 2001.

Compared with 2001, there were no significant changes in the structure of income, the Statistical Office said. The main source of income was income from labor (66 percent, or 1,658 kroons), followed by income from pensions (18 percent), while income from self-employment amounted to 5 percent.

The average monthly disposable income per household member was 2,668 kroons in urban areas and 2,119 kroons in rural areas.

Compared with 2001, disposable income increased 10 percent in rural areas and 7 percent in urban areas.

Among various regions, the monthly disposable income per household member was highest in Tallinn - 3,147 kroons, exceeding the average national net income by 26 percent. The figure was lowest in Jogeva county - 1,636 kroons, which makes up 52 percent of the income per household member in Tallinn and 65 percent of the national average.

The official minimum monthly wage in 2002 was 1,850 kroons.

The average monthly disposable income per household member remained below half of the minimum wage in the case of 12 percent of households. Thirty-three percent of households received income ranging between half and one minimum wage.