Country’s risk of poverty rate stands at 23.3%, above EU average of 22.5%

  • ECO News
  • 18 October 2018

In 2017, 23.3% of the Portuguese population was at risk of social exclusion or poverty, while 18.3% of the people were at risk of monetary poverty (after social transfers), above the 16.9% EU average.

In 2017 Portugal had a 23.3% rate of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion, which is above the EU average (22.5%), but 2.7 points below 2008, according to figures published by Eurostat on Tuesday.

Last year 18.3% of people were at risk of monetary poverty (after social transfers) in Portugal, above the European average of 16.9%.

As for the severe material deprivation rate, in 2017, Portugal was consistent with the EU at 6.9%. And 8% of people aged 0-59 in Portugal lived in households with very low work intensity, which is under the EU’s 9.3%.

Against 2008, the risk of poverty or social exclusion rate increased in ten Member States between 2008 and 2017, with the biggest rise experienced in Greece (6.7 percentage points, to 34.8%), in Italy (3.4 points, to 28.9%), in Spain (2.8 points, to 26.6%) and the Netherlands (2.1 points, to 17.0%).

The most significant decreases were in Poland (-11 points, to 19.5%), in Romania (-8.5 points, to 35.7%), in Latvia (-6.0 points, to 28.2%) and in Bulgaria (-5.9 points, to 38.9%).

In the EU, the overall rate of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion dropped from 23.7% in 2008 to 22.5% in 2017.

LUSA