Poverty in Serbia will continue to rise in the coming period since unemployment is also rising, state statistical office expert Vladan Bozanic said Monday.

Unemployment is continuing to grow this year and could reach 22 or 23 percent, he said at a round table entitled Life in Serbia Compared to Surrounding Countries organized by Tanjug.

Bozanic said that unemployment in Serbia has been on the rise since 2008, rising from 14.4 percent to 16.9 percent in 2009, and to 20 percent in 2009, and the trend is continuing this year.

In Serbia, food accounts for 41.2 percent of a household's total expenses each month, compared to 43.4 percent in Macedonia, 37.5 percent in Montenegro, 36.7 percent in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) and 32. 1 percent in Croatia, he noted.

Measured by buying power, 16.1 percent of Serbia's population is poor, compared to 34.9 percent in Montenegro, 37.1 percent in Macedonia, 4.6 percent in BiH, and 2.8 percent in Croatia, Bozanic added, noting he is not certain of the accuracy of the data for BiH.