finance
One-Third of Spain's Children Face Poverty Despite Economic Outperformance
Around a third of children in Spain are at risk of poverty and social exclusion, according to recent data, even as the country's economy outperforms other major EU peers. Government efforts to address this include a proposed universal childcare benefit. Volunteers and nonprofits provide essential support to affected families.
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Outside a church in northern Madrid, volunteers distribute baby clothes, diapers, and fresh produce to parents twice a week. Parents, many with children, wait in lines around the building. One single mother, Anadit, aged 47, described her challenges in providing for her child while working in catering and restaurant services.
She noted that rent consumes much of her salary, leaving little for food or utilities. Similar accounts came from dozens of families interviewed over three months, who requested anonymity to protect their children's privacy. Some parents traveled hours from other areas to receive assistance.
Spain's economy has outperformed major European Union peers in recent years. However, around a third of its children face poverty and social exclusion, a rate exceeded in the region only by Bulgaria. A recent study estimated the annual cost of child poverty at about €63 billion, or 5% of output, due to impacts on future productivity, education, health, and equal opportunity.
Jorge Galindo, director of the Esade Centre for Economic Policy, stated that Spain's child poverty rate has remained between 25% and 30% since 2008, unchanged despite economic growth. He attributed this to low social spending not reaching needy families, a two-tiered labor market with insecure jobs, and high accommodation costs following the 2008 financial crisis.
and Government Initiatives Conrado Giménez
Agrela runs the Madrina Foundation's support hub at the Santa María Micaela y San Enrique church in Madrid's Tetuán neighborhood. He previously held senior roles at Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA and Banco Santander SA before establishing the nonprofit in 2000.
The foundation, funded by private donations, provides essentials to low-income families, evolving through crises like the financial downturn, the 2020 pandemic, and recent inflation. , families arrive early to receive items such as food, clothing, and vulnerability letters.
