Sorry for any cross-posting
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I would like to draw your attention to our latest Policy Brief "Poverty
Risks for Older People in EU Countries – An Update" written by Asghar
Zaidi.
Abstract:
This Policy Brief provides the latest evidence on how EU countries
differ in terms of poverty risks for older people (aged 65 years and over).
Results using the latest EU-SILC data for 2008 show that, on average,
older people face a higher poverty risk rate than the total population:
the rate for older people was 19% as opposed to rate for the total
population of 17%. The highest poverty risk rates were observed in
Latvia (51%), Cyprus (49%), Estonia (39%) and Bulgaria (34%), and the
lowest in Hungary (4%), Luxembourg (5%) and the Czech Republic (7%).
In general, countries with low poverty risk rates for older people have
a good social safety net in the form of a basic pension (e.g. the
Netherlands) and/or they offer strong redistribution in the
earnings-related contributory pension schemes in the form of minimum
guaranteed pensions (e.g. Austria).
A broader picture is provided by the material deprivation rate, which
measure deprivation in more absolute terms. On average, 16% of older
population in EU27 could be considered materially deprived during 2008,
and only about one third of the income poor were also disadvantaged by
material deprivation. Thus, out of 16 million older people identified as
at risk of poor, only about 5 million were also materially deprived.
Not surprisingly, there are wide variations across countries with
respect to the proportion of those who are materially deprived and also
face the risk of monetary poverty. The highest levels were registered in
Bulgaria (73%), Romania (57%), and Latvia (50%), and the lowest in
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK (all, 5% or less).
A subsequent Policy Brief will provide a glimpse into the future by
analysing the impact of pension reforms.
More: http://www.euro.centre.org/detail.php?xml_id=1657
Please feel free to forward the Policy Brief to colleagues who might be
interested.
Best regards,
Annette Hexelschneider, Dipl.-Ing.
Head of Knowledge and Information Management Support Unit
European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research
Berggasse 17
A-1090 Vienna (Austria)
Tel: +43-1-319 45 05-23
Fax: +43-1-319 45 05-19
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http://www.euro.centre.org
http://www.euro.centre.org/hexelschneider
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