The proportion of poverty or at risk of exclusion in Austria, at 17.7 percent of the total population, remained almost the same in 2023 compared to the previous year (17.5 percent). However, the number of people in absolute poverty has increased, as Statistics Austria announced on Thursday. In 2023, 336,000 people (3.7 percent of the population in private households) in Austria stated that they could not afford the expenses of daily life, which are considered a minimum standard of living according to the EU definition. Anyone who says they cannot afford at least seven of 13 EU-defined characteristics and activities of daily life (“absolute poverty measure”) is considered to be significantly materially and socially disadvantaged, including unexpected expenses of 1,370 euros or a vacation per person Year. In 2022, 201,000 people (2.3 percent) were affected by this poverty. According to the survey, 88,000 children and young people were affected by absolute poverty, which corresponds to more than doubling the number compared to the previous year (2022: 36,000 people under the age of 18).
Poverty
