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Over 400,000 young Austrians at risk of poverty in 2014

Xinhua, June 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

A new Statistics Austria study showed on Monday that 408,000 children and teenagers were at risk of poverty or exclusion in Austria in 2014.

The figures amount to 23 percent of persons aged 20 or under, slightly larger than the 19 percent of all Austrians at risk of poverty and social exclusion, by European definition.

Thirteen percent of children aged 16 and under were also considered to be excluded from at least three central life aspects considered relevant to their age, such as the ability to take part in school activities, to invite other young people home, access to books suitable for young people, and availability of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis.

The risk is particularly high for young people who live in a single-parent household. The study said these circumstances can lead to not only negative effects in their lives currently, but also to future disadvantages such as poor educational opportunities which can continue the poverty cycle.

In response to the statistics, Social Affairs Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer pointed out that the figures are in fact declining overall, and underlined the importance of employment and vocational training as well as social transfers as stabilizing factors. Endit