Two Out of Ten Spanish Living in Relative Poverty
December 26th, 2011
About ten million people (22.5% of the population) in Spain are living in a situation of “relative poverty”, with about 500 euros a month, and another two million are living in “severe poverty”, with revenues of only around 300 euros per month, reported ABC News.
As the president of the European Network for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion in Spain (EAPN-ES), Carlos Susías, explained in Toledo, according to the European Union scale, it is considered relative poverty when income is below 60% of the country’s average remuneration, and severe poverty when income is around 25% of the average.
Susías warned that a “tremendous” situation is looming for 2012 and has therefore urgently called upon governments to invest and not just make cuts in spending.
While agreeing that there must be some level of “stabilisation” of income and expenditure, Susías said, “we cannot only ensure a reduction in spending, we must also increase revenues” to revive the economy, because otherwise, “we will enter a downward spiral from which it will be difficult to escape”.
The social agencies have “serious problems” because for three years they have received fewer resources to help people and thus, their cushion of reserves are virtually exhausted, making the situation of vulnerable people dreadful” he said.
Related Posts
- 600,000 Spanish Families Living In Poverty
- Spain has most Overqualified Workers in EU
- Gap Between Rich and Poor Widest in 30 years
