1.472.000 persons or 16.9% of the population in Austria were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2019, as Statistics Austria reports.
They belonged to the social target group of the EU’s Europe 2020 strategy because of low household income (1.161.000 persons or 13.3%), severe material deprivation (223.000 persons or 2.6%) or low work intensity of the household (507.000 persons below the age of 60, or 7.8%).
Since these categories can overlap, the total number of persons at-risk-of-poverty or social exclusion is lower than the sum of the three individual indicators.
Compared to the year before, data showed only a minor, statistically insignificant decrease of the number of people affected (2018: 17.5% or 1.512.000 persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion). However, since 2008, the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions EU-SILC show a declining trend: In total, 227.000 persons less were reported to be at risk of being poor or socially excluded.
303.000 children and youths below the age of 18 were among those affected by poverty or social exclusion
303.000 children and youths below the age of 18 were among those affected by poverty or social exclusion in 2019. Not only did their households belong to this group, but they were also excluded from social participation in their own life spheres.
Children up to 15 years were more likely to not invite friends to play or eat due to financial reasons if their households were at risk of poverty or social exclusion: 8% of children from those households could not afford such invitations, as compared to only 2% of all other children.
Also regular leisure activities that come with costs like sports or music lessons could be followed less by those affected by poverty risks: 22% could not afford such activities for their children whereas only 3% with no poverty risk reported so.
36% of all under 18-year-olds from households at risk of poverty or social exclusion did not have access to a computer at home, but only 10% of their peers.
Every fourth person (27%) coming from a family background with low educational attainment (both parents only had a compulsory school degree or none at all) managed to finish only compulsory schooling themselves, potentially leading to lower income and lack of social participation.
In contrast, only 6% had the lowest educational attainment if at least one of their parents had a higher degree. Compared to persons from families with higher education, the risk of poverty or social exclusion was 1.4 times higher for those coming from families with a low educational background.
