Spain is the country of euro zone with a larger youth poverty and the third of all European Uniononly behind Romania And Bulgaria. Specifically, 20% of Spaniards aged 16 to 25 suffer from deficiencies in basic goods and services, according to the rate of material and social deprivation published by the statistical portal of the European Commission, Eurostat. Thus, the country led by Pedro Sánchez is once again in the top positions of the another ranking linked to high levels of poverty.
Eurostat data refer to the year 2023. Thus, last year, one fifth of young people found themselves in a situation in which they were forced to deprive themselves of basic things. Specifically, the Eurostat study on the rate of material and social deprivation aims to measure the degree of lack of material and social conditions experienced by people in Europe, taking into account variables such as age.
The survey assesses the household capacity or individuals to access goods, services and activities essential to a a decent lifewhich helps identify the most vulnerable groups affected by social exclusion.
Therefore, material and social deprivation refers to the lack of access to basic needssuch as the ability to keep the house sufficiently air-conditioned, pay the bills essentials, or enjoy a proper meal with protein at least every other day.
The study also includes inability to acquire property durable items such as a washing machine or telephone, as well as difficulties in participating in social or leisure activities, such as going out with friends or taking holidays. This reflects the impact of lack of financial resources on the daily lives of young people.
From all countries of the European Union and taking into account all agesSpain would be fourth (second in the Eurozone):
- Romania: 23.5% of the population in this situation.
- Greece: 20.7% of its inhabitants
- Bulgaria: 19.1% of Bulgarians
- Spain: 13.9% of the Spanish population
- Hungary: 11.3% of Hungarians
- Lithuania: 9.9% of its inhabitants
- Germany: 9.3% of Germans
- France: 9.2% of French people
- European Union average: 9.1% of Europeans
After these latest data, the rest of the countries maintain lower rates. Thus, at a general level, Spain is among the first. However, if we take into account youth poverty, things get worse, since the Spanish government under 25 years old They are among the worst off of all the countries that use the euro.
Youth poverty and unemployment
Concretely, the distribution among young Europeans would be as follows:
- Romania: 32.5% of young people in a situation of material deprivation
- Bulgaria: 26.7%
- Spain: 20%
- Hungary: 16.2%
- Greece: 15.8%
- Denmark: 15.5%
- Cyprus: 14.8%
- Ireland: 12.6%
- European Union average: 11.3%
- France: 11.1%
- Germany: 11%
- Eurozone average: 10.6%
Other countries place their youth poverty rate below 10%. In these circumstances, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), of the 4.5 million Spanish inhabitants belonging to this age group, more than 900,000 young people They are in a very complicated economic situation.
The problems of material deprivation suffered by young Spaniards are understood in a broader economic and professional context. And it is the under-25s in Spain who more unemployment are suffering all over Europe, according to the same statistical office of the European Commission.
Thus, youth unemployment stands at 25%, or in other words, four out of ten young people are unemployed, which contrasts with the data from the rest of the countries that use the euro as their currency.
The unemployment rate in the euro area for those under 25 stood at 14.1% in June, a tenth lower than the previous month, while in the EU as a whole it was 14.4%, also a tenth lower. In other words, unemployment among European youth is more than 10 points below than that of Spain.
It is therefore not surprising that these inequalities between labor market The European and Spanish surveys are transferred to other surveys. In this case, the Eurostat data show the poor situation that many young Spaniards are experiencing and their difficulties in accessing basic goods and services.
