Today marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. According to the report “Poverty and Social Exclusion 2025” by the National Observatory on the Fight Against Poverty, EAPN Portugal emphasizes that the absolute number of people at risk persistently exceeds two million.
EAPN highlights that this demonstrates poverty remains a structural problem in the country, despite recent statistical data showing a significant reduction in the risk of poverty or social exclusion, now affecting 19.7% of the population—the lowest level since 2015.
Despite this, approximately 2.1 million people remain in this vulnerable situation, meaning one in every five Portuguese citizens is affected, the non-governmental organization notes.
Data from the Living Conditions and Income Survey (ICOR) by the National Statistics Institute (INE), related to 2023 and released in December 2024, indicates the risk of poverty decreased by 0.4 percentage points compared to 2022, reaching 16.6%.
In 2023, the poverty risk rate corresponded to the proportion of inhabitants with net monetary incomes (per equivalent adult) below 632 euros per month.
EAPN stresses that in Portugal, 1.76 million people are in this situation—one in every six individuals—and notes that women still represent the majority (56%).
Moreover, the EAPN report warns that over one in three people living in poverty have very low incomes, equal to or less than 422 euros per month.
The report states, “Children are particularly vulnerable to this issue: 40% of poor children live in households with these incomes,” adding that children’s exposure to severe poverty situations jeopardizes their paths to social and economic inclusion throughout their lives.
According to the INE, the reduction in poverty was observed among those under 18 and working-age adults, as well as employed and unemployed populations, with social transfers related to illness and disability, family, unemployment, and social inclusion preventing the poverty risk from reaching 21.4%.
EAPN underscores that only half of the people in poverty aged 18 to 64 receive income from social benefits and notes that Portugal remains the third EU country with the least impact of social transfers on poverty reduction.
However, the risk of poverty increased for the elderly, and EAPN notes a significant deterioration in the living conditions of senior citizens.
Retirees saw their risk rise by 19.9%, those aged 65 or older experienced an increase of 17.8%, and the very elderly (75 years or more) faced a deterioration of 22.7%, EAPN reports.
Additionally, 22.3% of retirees, 23.8% of individuals aged 65 and older, and 26.5% of those aged 75 and over were at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
EAPN points out that poverty continues to have a clear territorial expression, highlighting that the Azores remain the country’s most vulnerable region, with 28.4% of the population at risk of poverty or social exclusion. In the mainland, Setúbal Peninsula stands out as the most vulnerable area (21.8%).
It also notes that rural and sparsely populated areas continue to report higher poverty rates (23.5%) compared to densely populated cities (17.5%), although most people in poverty live in urban settings.
