Just over one in ten children (13 percent) in Austria grows up in a poor family. They continue to experience these poorer starting conditions even into adulthood. Examples of this are poorer educational opportunities and fewer opportunities on the labor market compared to children from richer families.
An OECD study commissioned by the Ministry of Social Affairs examined the social situation and well-being of children in Austria in 2021. Key results: 13 percent of children and young people in Austria are affected by income poverty, but only eight percent lack the necessities of life. The latter is below the European average (twelve percent). About eight percent of all children and young people have parents with a low education level. This is one of the three indicators of social disadvantage.
Equal opportunities start in childhood
“Equality of opportunity starts in childhood,” said Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) on Thursday when presenting the research. To improve the life prospects of children and young people, parents’ employment should be encouraged and care responsibilities shared fairly between them, said OECD Deputy Secretary-General Yoshiki Takeuchi.
Rauch also spoke about more precise family benefits, an expansion of child care and nonprofit housing. Similar demands – for example an expansion of all-day schools and a free, healthy lunch for all preschoolers and schoolchildren (SPÖ) and a revision of the Social Security Act (network of social aid organizations) – came from the SPÖ, Volkshilfe and other health organizations.
“Poverty makes you sick,” Rauch reminded people Thursday. In Austria in 2021, about five percent of all children lived in cramped, damp or poorly equipped living spaces. However, according to the OECD, 99 percent of all parents believe that their children’s medical needs are met.
Child poverty costs the state 17 billion euros per year
“The key question is not: ‘What does it cost to fight child poverty?’ but ‘What does child poverty cost us? gross domestic product of Austria. The increased need for social benefits represents additional state costs of 700 million euros.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
