Spain: One In Four Citizens At Risk Of Poverty - Survey

25.3 percent of the Spanish population, about one in four citizens, was at risk of poverty or social exclusion during 2019, according to data published on Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

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The organization revealed that although the average income per person reached 11,680 euros, which represents a 2.3 percent increased compared to 2018, the situation has worsened for children under 16, as poverty already affects 30.1% of them.

According to the Living Conditions Survey carried out by INE, the highest poverty rate was identified in Extremadura, Andalusia, and the Canary Islands.

The survey highlights that 56.9% of the unemployed were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, while, according to nationality, the percentage of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion was 21.7 percent for Spaniards, 46.2 percent for foreigners from the European Union (EU) and 54.2 percent for people whose nationality was from a non-EU country.

Such data adds to the predictions of an overall increase in the poverty index in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 23, the non-governmental organization Oxfam Intermón warned that the crisis unleashed by the pandemic could force more than 700,000 Spaniards int poverty, amounting to 10.8% of people living in such conditions.

Notably, the organization also estimates that one in three poor will be a migrant.

Moreover, The Spanish Federation of Food Banks revealed that since the beginning of the pandemic, there had been an increase of between 30 and 40 percent in the number of aid applications, compared to the same period in 2019.

To try to mitigate the situation, the government of Spain approved on June 10, the implementation of a minimum vital income aimed at reducing extreme poverty, which allows poor people to receive between 461 and 1,115 euros per month, particularly families with children and single parents households.