| Study reveals that one in six Europeans lives below poverty line |
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| World Affairs Talk | |
| Tuesday, 22 May 2007 | |
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The study shows a 13 year gap between the highest and lowest life expectancies for men, and spending on health and long-term care in the EU ranging from five percent of GDP to 11 percent. The recent reforms, that were to make national systems more fiscally and socially sustainable are encouraging, but there are still immense challenges ahead which should be resolved as early as possible. However, 16 percent of Europeans remain at risk of poverty and 10 percent live in jobless households. The rate ranged from 9-10 percent in Sweden and the Czech Republic to 21 percent in Lithuania and Poland. In 2004, 16 percent of EU citizens lived under the poverty threshold defined as 60 percent of their country's median income. This situation most likely will hamper their capacity to fully participate in the society. Children are often at greater risk-of-poverty than the rest of the population, with 19 percent below the poverty threshold, according to the study results. The share of children living in jobless households varies greatly across member states, ranging from less than three percent in Luxembourg to 14 percent or more in Britain and Bulgaria. According to the report, European life expectancy levels have increased spectacularly in the last half century. However, there are currently wide disparities, with men's life expectancies ranging from 65.4 (Lithuania) to 78.4 years (Sweden) and those of women from 75.4 (Romania) to 83.9 (Spain). Living in a household where no one works affects both children's current living conditions, and the conditions in which they develop by lack of an appropriate role model. Neither does having a job always protect people from the risk of poverty. In 2004 eight percent of EU workers lived under the poverty threshold. One of the reasons behind these unemployment or unwillingness to work is the freebies provided to the children by the government. Through mutual learning and by stimulating countries to set common goals, Europe can bring a real added value to national efforts to reinforce social cohesion. Never the less, fact is that the household where no one works is not a suitable place for the children. They are not given the proper living standard which as a result causes susceptibility. Europe has to work hard to remove the current situation into a better one, for which is has to face a lot of challenges. Regional cooperation and advance measures can be a way to resolve the current phenomenon. Share & Bookmark             |
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