What is the poverty rate in Portugal? The risk of poverty increased in Portugal in 2020 and the poverty rate in Portugal in 2021 remains stable. This data corresponds to the year marked by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic where the Portugal economy took a hit, and is compared to the poverty rate in 2019. Portugal was, moreover, one of 9 European countries that had a worsening risk of poverty among citizens aged 18-64 in year-on-year terms. This is according to new data released by Eurostat.
According to the European Union (EU) statistics office, "compared to 2019, among member states with statistically significant data, increases in the at-risk-of-poverty rate for the working-age population were observed in Portugal, Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Austria and Sweden."
Estimates released by Eurostat indicate, however, that in the results as a whole, the at-risk-of-poverty rate has remained at stable levels. "In the EU, disposable household income as well as the at-risk-of-poverty rate remained stable in 2020, although the situation varies between member states," it concludes.
When it comes to the poverty rate in Portugal in 2021, despite the country's popularity with tourists and often luxury appearance from the outside, there are almost 3 million people living below the poverty line. Portugal is also a country with below average wages, although they are reportedly increasing, and the pandemic has lead to more people being at risk from poverty, as seen in the Eurostat data.
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