Commercial banks are increasing the allowed overdraft, and non-earmarked loans account for more than 50 percent of household debts, which means that citizens are borrowing money to survive, NHS leader Kresimir Sever said at a news conference on Saturday.
In October 2005, households owed commercial banks 76.1 billion kuna, and the year later the amount rose to 93.3 billion.
For the New Year and Christmas holidays, citizens spent an additional 1,600 kuna on average.
The minimum living costs of a four-member family in December last year were 6,288 kuna, which is 0.31 percent more than in November.
The average net salary in October was 4,585 kuna, which was enough to cover 72.92 percent of living costs, which is 0.47 percent more than in November.
The consumer basket of a retired couple from Zagreb amounted to 3,357 kuna, with the average pension allowance covering only 57 percent of that amount or 0.71 percent less than in the previous month.
Although the average salary in October 2005 could cover 68.2 percent of the average consumer basket of a four-member family and in October 2006 it covered 72.6 percent of living costs, Croatians have entered the year 2007 with more debts than in previous years, the union said.