1 in 5 Spaniards are at risk of poverty

22.3% of Spaniards are at risk of poverty, according to the National Institute of Statistics on Living Conditions survey.

The figure is two tenths above that of 2015, which means that despite the improvement in the country’s economic growth and income per person, the inequality rate does not improve.

The population at risk of poverty is a relative indicator that measures inequality. It does not measure absolute poverty, but how many people have low incomes compared to the whole population.

This latest survey was conducted in 2016 with data on income for 2015. It shows that the average income per person reached 10,708 euros, 2.8% more than the figure recorded the previous year. In the case of households, the average income figure stood at 26,730 euros (2.4% more).

The situation of households

Although the INE survey showed that 15.3% of Spanish households had «much difficulty» to reach the end of the month, this is 1.6 points more than in the previous year, some data improve slightly.

The percentage of households that were unable to meet unforeseen expenses fell from 39.4% in 2015 to 38.1% in 2016.

39.5% of households could not afford to go on holiday away from home at least one week per year, 1.1 points less than in 2015.

On the other hand, 8.4% of households had delays in payments related to the main dwelling (mortgage or rent, gas receipts, electricity, community, …) in the 12 months prior to the survey, Below the percentage recorded the previous year.

Child poverty

A new UNICEF study released this month revealed that Spain has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the European Union (EU).

Based on an analysis of the global economic crisis that erupted in 2008, the study «Children of Austerity: The Impact of the Great Recession on Child Poverty in Rich Countries» states that Spain is the third country in the EU with a Of the highest rates of both relative poverty and «anchored poverty», only behind in both segments of Romania and Greece.

The term «anchored poverty», Unicef ​​explained, means that the threshold is not changed each year analyzed – depending on the greater or lesser income of the population as a whole – as is done when relative poverty is analyzed. Instead, the poverty line is set in a specific year – the study was set in 2008 – to study how the well-being of the population changes from that poverty line.

That said, «anchored poverty» in Spain increased by 9 percentage points between 2008 and 2014, to cover almost 40% of the child population.

Source.CNN