A quarter of children in European countries, or 1.96 million, were at risk of poverty and social exclusion at the end of 2021, the international NGO Save the Children has stated in its recently released report. This data is even more alarming in view of the fact that it only covers 14 countries.
The report reveals data collected from 10 EU member states (Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden) and 4 non-EU countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland and Kosovo) in October to December 2022.
Millions of children and families across 14 European countries are facing a poverty crisis that prevents children from thriving and achieving their full potential as adults. Even a brief period of deprivation can have long-term consequences for a child and, in some cases, these effects can last for generations. Save the Children has recently published a report highlighting that in 2021 the number of children at risk of poverty in Europe rose by 200,000 bringing the total to 19.6 million, which is deeply concerning.
Save the Children Europe Director Ylva Sperling, commenting on the outcomes of the report, said:
“No child should have to go to school on an empty stomach, worry about their parent’s job or live in a household that’s cold. Yet, the impact of Europe’s many crises makes eating or heating no longer a choice for many families and deprives children of the essentials they need for their development and well-being.”
The report indicates that the likelihood of children in Europe experiencing poverty or social exclusion rose from 24.0% in 2020 to 24.4% in 2021. The countries with the lowest risk of child poverty were Finland and Denmark, with rates of 13.2% and 14%, respectively, while Spain and Romania had the highest rates at 33.4% and 41.5%.
Eric Großhaus, the advocacy manager for child poverty and social inequality at Save the Children Germany, described the statistics as “devastating,” noting that in Germany one in five or over two million children live in poverty. He stressed that the government must fulfill its promises to address this issue.
Fig.1.Children at risk of poverty or social exclusion rates
According to the report, the risk of poverty is not equally distributed among various groups of children with certain groups being at higher risk than others. These groups include low-income households, children who come from single-parent families, and large families who experience disadvantages. Children in migration, including refugees, asylum-seekers, and those with migrant backgrounds, are among the most vulnerable groups, as well as children with disabilities and those from ethnic minorities.
In Iceland, for example, 22.6% of children living with single parents were found to live in low-income households compared to 16.1% of those living with two adults. The location within a country where children live is also a significant factor. In Sweden, for instance, regions with socio-economic issues report that more than 50% of children live in households at risk of poverty. Similarly, the prevalence of absolute poverty in Italy’s southern regions is higher with 10% of households affected, compared to 6.7% and 5.6% in the north and center, respectively.
The education level of parents is also a crucial factor according to the report. Children living with parents whose highest education level is lower secondary are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, with 62.5% of them falling into this category in 2021. Conversely, only 9.8% of children living with parents who have attained at least tertiary education or higher are at risk of poverty. Family size also matters significantly. For example, in Sweden, there is a risk of poverty for 32% of children living in households with two or more siblings. Similarly, in Italy, households with five or more members have a higher rate of absolute poverty at 22.6%, while four-person households have a poverty rate of 11.6%.
The report’s authors highlighted that “Child poverty is a barrier to the achievement of a more social Europe, a burden on our society which is condemning millions of children to a life of neglect and missed opportunities,” and stressed the urgency of putting in place robust child social protection policies.
