Fewer families are living below the poverty line, despite coronavirus


The percentage of households in the Netherlands living below the ‘low income level’ fell to 6.8% last year, compared with 7.5% in 2019, broadcaster NOS reported, citing figures from national statistics office CBS.
The percentage of poor families has been falling steadily since 2014.
In particular, the support package put together by the government for people and companies hit by the coronavirus crisis had helped shrink the risk of living in poverty still further, the CBS said.
The decline was experienced across the board, including in working households and those with young children. Fewer families were had also been living below the poverty line for more than four years.
In total, 221,000 children up to the age of 18 are part of a family with an income below the poverty line, an average of two per school class and the lowest number in 25 years, the CBS said.
Income
Some 513,000 households were living on a very low income – judged to be €1,100 per month for a single person in 2020 and €2,110 for a family with children.
Single parents, single people approaching pension age, families with ethnic minority roots and people with low skills have the highest risk of living in poverty, the statistics agency said.
With inflation reaching 5.2% last month, a similar drop in the number of families living below the poverty line may be unlikely this year.
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