2024-02-27 11:54:43
The rate of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in Spain reached 26.5% in 2023, while the share of people living in a state of “severe material and social deprivation” reached 9%, the highest rate since 2015, according to an official study published on Monday (February 26).
The survey on living conditions published Monday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) reveals negative trends, but also somewhat optimistic data.
While noting stark regional differences in poverty, with southern regions at twice the risk of poverty than northern regions, experts also highlighted the worrying percentage of the population living in poverty. “severe material and social deprivation”that is, people who cannot go on vacation at least once a year, buy meat, chicken or fish every other day, or keep their home at a decent temperature in winter.
Compared to the general population, 9.3% of those questioned say they have “great difficulties” to make ends meet, with this figure increasing by 0.6% between 2022 and 2023.
By analyzing the factors that determine the “severe material and social deprivation”the study highlights that 37.1% of households will not be able to meet unforeseen expenses (compared to 35.5% in 2022) and that 33.1% will not be able to afford a vacation anywhere other than at home. them for at least one week per year (0.4% less compared to the previous year).
Regarding household income, Spain is the only OECD member country for which it has fallen the most since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and in the third quarter of 2022, the latest figures available for comparison purposes.
According to data published by the OECD in February 2023real income per capita (indicator which subtracts taxes and contributions and adds social benefits) in Spain fell by 7.85% between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the third quarter of 2022.
Spain also suffers from a high unemployment rate (11.76%), especially among young people, according to Eurostat data.
Nearly 30% of the Spanish population cannot replace damaged or old furniture, 20.7% cannot heat their homes in winter, and 13.6% have experienced delays in paying housing-related expenses or in purchases on credit, according to the study.
The risk of poverty and social exclusion particularly affects children under 16.
According to the INE study, in 2023, 1.7% of the Spanish population was exposed to the risk of poverty and “severe material and social deprivation”as well as low employment intensity, two factors which mark the highest risk of social exclusion.
Caritas, the European Network of Associations Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (EAPN), Save the Children and Educo called for support for families following the publication of the survey.
From a more positive perspective, the survey indicates that the proportion of low-income people compared to the total Spanish population (48 million people) increased from 20.4% in 2022 to 20.2% last year, while the proportion of the population “low employment intensity” (with little professional activity) increased from 8.7% to 8.4% during the same period.
Another positive development, the average income per person reached 14,082 euros in 2023, or 8.3% more than in 2022, which represents the largest increase in recent years after the increase of 6% in 2022 and the decrease of 0.2% in 2021.
The study also shows that the poverty risk threshold for households made up of one person will be €10,990 in 2023 and €23,078 for households made up of two adults and two children.
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