Montenegro: Food prices rise 48% while minimum wage doubles

Montenegro economy food inflation minimum wage child nutrition MICS research

Recent economic and health data for Montenegro reveal significant shifts in living standards and child welfare. According to an analysis of Eurostat data by Euronews Business, food and non-alcoholic beverage prices in Montenegro rose by 48 percent between August 2021 and August 2026. This increase was accompanied by a 102 percent rise in the gross minimum wage. Consequently, the purchasing power of the minimum wage has improved, allowing workers to buy approximately 37 percent more food than five years ago.

Simultaneously, the MICS research conducted by UNICEF and MONSTAT for 2025–2026 highlights critical child health concerns. The study found that only 21.7 percent of babies in Montenegro are exclusively breastfed during their first six months. Furthermore, 47.2 percent of children aged 6 to 23 months consume unhealthy food. In Roma settlements, the consumption of unhealthy food among children in the same age group is notably higher at 62.6 percent. Additionally, 76.1 percent of children aged 6 to 23 months are fed using a bottle with a nipple.

Entities

Euronews Business · Eurostat · Milojko Spajić · Monstat · Montenegro · Moody’s · Tabacco Shop · UNICEF · Union of Employers of Montenegro

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 5 SOURCES] 76.1 percent of children aged 6 to 23 months are fed via bottle with a nipple. www.sjevercg.me · www.pvinformer.me · rtnk.me
[● 2 SOURCES] 47.2 percent of children aged 6 to 23 months consume unhealthy food.
[● 2 SOURCES] 62.6 percent of children aged 6–23 months in Roma settlements consume unhealthy food. www.sjevercg.me
[● 2 SOURCES] Only 21.7 percent of babies born in Montenegro are exclusively breastfed during the first six months of life.
[● 2 SOURCES] In Roma settlements, 40.7 percent of children are exclusively breastfed. www.sjevercg.me
[● 3 SOURCES] UNICEF and MONSTAT conducted the MICS research for Montenegro 2025–2026. www.sjevercg.me
[● 2 SOURCES] 10.8 percent of children experience severe food poverty. www.sjevercg.me
[● 2 SOURCES] Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices in Montenegro rose by 48 percent between August 2021 and August 2026. cetinjskilist.com · investitor.me
[● 2 SOURCES] The gross minimum wage in Montenegro increased by 102 percent. cetinjskilist.com · investitor.me
[○ 1 SOURCE] Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose by an average of 34 percent in Europe and the EU between August 2021 and August 2026. biznis.me
[○ 1 SOURCE] In Roma settlements, 62.6 percent of children aged 6 to 23 months consume unhealthy food. www.sjevercg.me
[● 2 SOURCES] In Montenegro, a minimum wage allows for the purchase of 37 percent more food than five years ago. cetinjskilist.com · investitor.me