Right with the lie? L. Kukuraitis: We have already overtaken Latvians and Estonians in terms of poverty



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“The statistics show that in 2018. We made great progress compared to 2017 and compared to 2016, 2015. and so on, we have already surpassed Latvians and Estonians in terms of poverty level, which we had not had in five years, this is important to emphasize, ”L. Kukuraitis said in the debate.

Lithuania is a leader among the Baltic countries

Based on 2017 According to Eurostat, the at-risk-of-poverty rate was 22.9% in Lithuania, 22.1% in Latvia and 21% in Estonia. EU average in 2017 was 16.9%, and the poverty rate in Lithuania in general statistics was higher than in Lithuania only in Bulgaria and Romania.

2018 The at-risk-of-poverty rate in Lithuania remained the same at 22.9%, in Latvia it increased to 23.3% and in Estonia to 21.9%. The EU average has slightly changed to 17.1%. The poverty rate was higher in Latvia than in Lithuania and slightly lower in Estonia.

Public Relations Advisor to the Minister of Social Security and Labor Eglė Samoškaitė 15 minutes provided the most recent statistical data: “According to the indicators of the Department of Statistics, the at-risk-of-poverty rate in Lithuania in 2019 reached 20.6%. According to Eurostat, the at-risk-of-poverty rate in Latvia was 22.9% in 2019 and in Estonia it was 21.7%. “

“For some time now, the level of absolute poverty, material deprivation and high material deprivation has also decreased significantly in Lithuania,” said E. Samoškaitė.

According to data from the Department of Statistics, the absolute poverty rate has been decreasing since 2016, when this indicator reached 15.8%. 2019 accounted for 7.7 percent. 2019 about 215 thousand people lived below the absolute poverty line. population of the country.

The level of material deprivation was the highest in 2010. (36.3%) and has been decreasing slightly since then. 2019 this indicator amounted to 20.9 percent. High level of material deprivation in 2015 amounted to 13.9 percent in 2019. It fell to 9.4 percent.

SADM infographic / SADM chart: poverty and deprivation

SADM infographic / SADM chart: poverty and deprivation

One fifth live below the risk of poverty threshold

According to data from the Lithuanian Department of Statistics, the at-risk-of-poverty rate in 2017 amounted to 22.9 percent. and 2018. stayed the same. 2019 The at-risk-of-poverty rate in the country was 20.6 percent. and decreased 2.3 percentage points compared to 2018. 2019 around 576 thousand people still lived below the risk of poverty line. population of the country.

Compared to 2018. The at-risk-of-poverty rate decreased 1.7 percentage points in urban areas and 3.4 percentage points in rural areas. 17.1% of the city received disposable income below the risk of poverty line. population, in rural areas – 27.9 percent.

Poverty risk threshold in 2019 was € 379 per month per resident and € 797 for a family of two adults and two children under 14 years of age. Due to the increase in the population’s disposable income, the risk-of-poverty threshold increased by 10% compared to 2018.

Higher pensions and children’s money contributed more

Aistė Adomavičienė, representative of the National Network of Organizations for Poverty Reduction, said that the statistical indicators are really improving: “There really is a change and some progress, the only question is whether it is enough for us.”

Photo by D.Baranauskaitė / Aistė Adomavičienė

Photo by D.Baranauskaitė / Aistė Adomavičienė

The representative of the National Network of Organizations for the Alleviation of Poverty highlighted several aspects that have recently contributed to the reduction of poverty: but it is improving “.

The key question is, is it enough?

However, A.Adomavičienė also notes certain areas to which more attention should be paid. According to her, the problems must be addressed both with sometimes extremely low benefits and with the services that people need in situations of exclusion.

“The main question is, is it enough? The welfare pension has also been raised, but the base is still 140 euros, it is still small. There are people who have no seniority, receive pensions of about 80 euros and are excluded,” he said A.Adomavičienė.

“There is a lack of services, we often hear that people cannot work because they have to take care of their relatives, the disabled or the elderly. Sometimes it takes a long time to wait in lines to get help getting older people home.

There are many problems in the field of people with disabilities. Some people with severe disabilities simply do not receive any services and then family members are cared for at home or incur really significant costs if they have to seek care. Steps have been taken in the field of services, but here, apparently, we still have a very long way to go, ”explained a representative of the National Network of Poverty Reduction Organizations.

A. Adomavičienė emphasized the importance of cooperation between the ministry and the municipalities: “In the social field, a large part of the competencies for poverty reduction, especially services, belong to the municipalities, and then the question arises of what kind of cooperation between the ministry and the municipality should exist here. What needs to change in national legislation and what is the competence of the municipality, and they must decide for themselves.

According to the 15-minute evaluation, L. Kukuraitis was right in saying that based on poverty level, Lithuania already surpassed Latvia and Estonia, but that progress was achieved in 2018, compared to 2017, statistics do not show.



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