Poverty in Spain - statistics & facts

The most part of disposable income derives from wages, and therefore, the chronic high unemployment rate that affects the Spanish economy is one of the main reason behind its poverty issues, together with problems such as high rates of early school leaving, job insecurity, low salaries, or an inadequate social protection net. During the last decade, the share of the population at risk of poverty has remained constant around 21 percent, recording its worst figures between 2014 and 2016. Roughly 55 percent of unemployed people were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2022, which implies that over half of the more than three million unemployed persons in Spain were at such risk. This problem is particularly acute in the case of migrants from outside the EU and individuals with low education.

Material deprivation

One of the most worrisome consequences of poverty is material deprivation, that is, the inability to afford the consumption of goods and activities typical in a society. Many households suffer from poor protein intake; nearly eight percent of single-parent households could not afford a meal with meat, chicken, or fish at least every other day in 2022. In that regard, food insecurity has worsened in recent years, and the share of population that experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in the Mediterranean country was estimated at 8 percent between 2020 and 2022. Energy poverty is another important concern, as more than 17 percent of the Spanish population lives in households which cannot afford to keep the dwelling at an adequate temperature.

The welfare state

Spain was a latecomer among democratic welfare states in Europe, since its current welfare regime did not emerge until the democratic transition in the late 1970s. While insufficient, the Spanish welfare state relies heavily on universal social rights, particularly education and health, and social benefits directed mainly towards retired, unemployed, and disabled persons. Distributive policies play a major role enforcing a fairer distribution of wealth and protecting the poor. For example, as of 2020, the half of the Spanish population that earned the lowest income only received 16.4 percent of total wage incomes, a figure that went up by nearly seven points after public transfers. Besides the national minimum wage, which increased from 600 euros to 1,000 euros a month between 2008 and 2022, the Minimum Vital Income came into existence in June 2020 to improve the social protection net. Three years later, there were over 1.9 million recipients of this non-contributory benefit from the Social Security, a benefit which aims at helping people or household units at risk of poverty and social exclusion.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Jan 29, 2024

Key insights

People at risk of poverty or social exclusion
12.4m
Autonomous communities with the largest share of population at risk of poverty
Extremadura and Canary Islands
Share of population in households unable to handle unforeseen expenses
35.5%
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Share of Spanish population at risk of poverty from 2008 to 2022

Poverty

Poverty risk rate in Spain 2008-2022

Share of population at risk of poverty or social exclusion in Spain in 2022, by age and gender

Poverty

Population at risk of poverty or exclusion in Spain 2022, based on age and gender

Prevalence of food insecurity in Spain between 2014 and 2022, by degree of severity

Demographics

Food insecurity prevalence by severity in Spain 2014-2022

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Poverty and Income in the United States
Poverty and Income in the United States
Unemployment in Spain
Unemployment in Spain
Poverty in Italy
Poverty in Italy
Mental health in Spain
Mental health in Spain
Residential real estate in Spain
Residential real estate in Spain

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