Child poverty is growing in Catalonia and now affects 36% of minors

BarcelonaDespite the positive economic figures and from low unemploymentPoverty has increased by 0.8 percentage points in Catalonia over the past year. This breaks the trend of a modest reduction that began in 2021 thanks to the injection of aid from the social safety net approved in response to the pandemic crisis. According to the latest Living Conditions Survey, published this Thursday by the Statistical Institute of Catalonia (Idescat), 24.8% of the Catalan population is poor and lives with material deprivation. This worsening social situation has not surprised organizations and NGOs, which have been noticing an increase in demand for their services for months. among people who have a jobThe poverty threshold is set at incomes below €13,800 for a single person and €29,100 for two adults and two children, and, in fact, precariousness is particularly affecting children under 16. Child poverty—children living in impoverished families—is a major failing in Catalonia, which ranks among the European regions with the highest number of minors experiencing basic deprivation. In the 0-16 age group, poverty has increased (another year) by 1.3 percentage points, half a point higher than the overall rate, bringing the number of children living in precarious situations to 36.1% of the total. This is the highest percentage of child poverty recorded in the last decade, while a decision is pending on whether to implement a universal childcare benefit so that Spain ceases to be one of the few European countries without a known effective measure.

Despite the very high poverty rate, the analysis also highlights the benefits of social assistance programs. Without taking into account the guaranteed income of citizenship Without the guaranteed minimum income, poverty would climb to 40%. The success of social transfers is most noticeable among the retired population, who receive a pension, but not so much among families with children, since eight out of ten Those who meet the requirements to be beneficiaries do not request itIn fact, right now, 17% of those over 65 are living in poverty, half the rate of those under 16. The picture of exclusion is particularly stark again among women, with 26% affected compared to 23.5% of men. One in three households cannot cope with unexpected expenses of 900 euros, and almost three out of ten people cannot afford a week's vacation a year. Furthermore, 16.8% cannot keep their homes at a comfortable temperature year-round, and 14% have to postpone payments on their main residence. A more unequal society

The survey also reveals a widening inequality gap: the top 20% of earners hold up to 4.7 times more income than the bottom 20%, while the average annual income per person stands at €17,262. Thus, 9% of the population reports having great difficulty making ends meet, while less than 4% say they manage very easily. This inequality particularly affects the foreign population. Within this demographic, there are now 5% more people living in poverty than a year ago. Almost half of this group, 48.6%, survive below the poverty line, as those living in irregular immigration status are excluded from public benefits. Conversely, among those with Spanish nationality, the poverty rate has decreased slightly to 17.2%, almost two out of ten.

The Minister of Social Rights, Mònica Martínez Bravo, has admitted that the latest poverty figures in Catalonia "are not positive," but argued that the data show "both positive and negative aspects" and that the data do not yet reflect "the impact of measures adopted more recently or the increase in benefits." In this regard, the Minister sees the increase in average income as positive because "it indicates that the Catalan economy is growing," but acknowledges that a new "perspective" on the minimum living income is needed, particularly regarding children. "The children's supplement to the minimum living income should reach many more households," she acknowledged.

More socially focused budgets

Given the poor figures, the Third Sector Social Roundtable has urged the parties in the Catalan Parliament to approve the Generalitat's budget so that financial benefits can be updated to reflect the rising cost of living. "We need a political commitment to a truly socially focused budget," said the organization's president, Xavier Trabado, who identified job insecurity and the difficulty in accessing decent housing as the two major social obstacles. He emphasized that although families have more resources, the increased cost of living makes it "very difficult" to make ends meet. Save the Children has also called for the Generalitat's new budget to incorporate a child-centered perspective, move towards a universal childcare allowance, and invest in the education and nutrition of vulnerable children. "The figures show that the Generalitat allocates 15.6% of public sector spending to child welfare policies, even though children and adolescents represent 17.1% of the population," they stated. Educo, for its part, advocates for a universal and free school cafeteria and increased aid until it is fully implemented, given the difficulty the most vulnerable families face in putting food on the table and ensuring healthy meals. UNICEF attributes child poverty in Catalonia to the housing crisis, noting that 22.2% of children under 16 "live in families experiencing mortgage payment delays." The organization has stated that poverty among children and adolescents "conditions their development and social participation" and has stressed that it has "very negative" consequences for society. The data in Catalonia contrasts with those recorded in the rest of Spain, where the National Institute of Statistics (INE) reported a new low, reaching 25.7% compared to 25.8% the previous year. In the same year, average household income grew by 5.5%, and the percentage of the population struggling to make ends meet decreased from 19.2% to 19.5%. Oxfam Intermón also warns that the gap between economic growth and poverty reduction shows that poverty is becoming chronic in Spain. "It cannot be eradicated," says Alejandro García-Gil, head of social protection policies at Oxfam Intermón.