Eurostat: 28% of child population in Malta in risk of poverty or exclusion

More than 28% of the child population in Malta is in risk of poverty or social exclusion, Eurostat figures show. This percentage is slightly higher than the EU average of 26.9% registered in 2015.

The percentage recorded this year is higher than what Malta got in 2010 when 26.7% were in risk of poverty or social exclusion.

In 2015, around 25 million children, or 26.9% of the population aged 0 to 17, in the European Union were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This means that they were living in households in at least one of the following three conditions: at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers (income poverty), severely materially deprived or with very low work intensity. Since 2010, the proportion of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU has slightly decreased, from 27.5% in 2010 to 26.9% in 2015. However contrasting trends were observed across the EU Member States.

These figures were published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, on the occasion of the Universal Children’s Day celebrated on 20 November.

Figures show that more than a third of the child population in risk of poverty were in six member states. On top of the list is Romania, 46%, followed by Bulgaria and Greece. Countries like Sweden, Finland and Denmark are among EU member states that have the lower percentage of children in risk of poverty.