Poverty is a complex phenomenon faced by youth too. The purpose of this research is to determine the presence of the problem of poverty among youth in rural areas of Serbia. Survey has been conducted in five villages of Paraćin municipality. Exactly 98 young men and women took part in the survey, ages between 20 and 34, and they were asked to answer questions regarding poverty, to estimate their own poverty, and their own social exclusion. Desk research was supplemented with empirical research in the mentioned areas. Results of research conducted in the field are represented in the second part of this paper. In order to perceive the position and poverty of youth, their satisfaction with their living environment, and social exclusion of youth, we relied on the questionnaire that enables expressing subjective welfare. Data obtained through research indicate that one in ten subjects of the survey is poor. The surveyed subjects belonging to the oldest age group (30-34 years of age) and residents of settlements in the vicinity of municipality’s center are in a more unfavorable position. Survey results show that the young in rural areas have been facing the problem of their own poverty to a great extend during their lives. Social exclusion was recorded with 42% of the subjects, who claimed that they had felt isolated from the community at some point in the past two years, due to lack of money.

Neimaština je kompleksan fenomen s kojim se suočavaju mladi ljudi u današnje vrijeme. Namjera je ovoga članka utvrditi prisutnost tog problema među mladim stanovništvom ruralnih područja Srbije. Istraživanje je provedeno u pet sela općine Paraćin na uzorku od 98 mladih žena i muškaraca u dobi od 20 do 34 godine. Postavljena su im pitanja o siromaštvu i zatraženo je da procijene vlastitu neimaštinu i posljedičnu društvenu isključenost. Istraživanje je provedeno empirijskom metodom u ranije spomenutim područjima. Rezultati rada na terenu predstavljeni su u drugom dijelu članka. Za bolju procjenu položaja i siromaštva mladih, njihovog zadovoljstva životnom okolinom te percepciju socijalne isključenosti korišten je upitnik koji omogućuje subjektivan iskaz o osobnom blagostanju. Podaci dobiveni istraživanjem pokazuju da je jedan od deset ispitanika siromašan. U lošijem su položaju ispitanici iz najstarije dobne skupine (30 – 34 godine) kao i stanovnici koji žive u blizini središnjeg gradskog naselja. Rezultati pokazuju da se mladi iz ruralnih područja susreću s problemom siromaštva u velikoj mjeri cijeli svoj život. Društvena isključenost zabilježena je kod 42% sudionika koji tvrde da su se u protekle dvije godine osjećali izolirani od zajednice zbog nedostatka novca.