Poverty, Social

Exclusion and
Human Rights
Some statistics on poverty in The
Netherlands
Poverty in The Netherlands
 Insufficient means to be able to acquire the goods and
services that are minmally necessary to function in
society
 1,2 million people in 2015 (not much, but sufficient);
 810.000 people in 2015 (only basic needs);
 417.000 of these suffer long-term poverty (more than 4 years);
 320.000 children living in poverty;
 125.000 children living in long-term poverty;
 ‘Working poor’; People above 50; Young people

2
Poverty in The Netherlands
 Homelessness: extreme poverty
 31.000 (rough estimate)
 Increase of 75% since 2009
 Many people with a migration background; young people

3
Poverty, Social
Exclusion and Human
Rights

Some statistics on poverty

in The Netherlands
Poverty in The Netherlands
 Insufficient means to be able to access
the goods and services which are
considered to be the minimum necessity
in society
 1,2 million people in 2015 (below not much, but adequate);
 810.000 people in 2015 (below basic needs);
 417.000 of these suffer long-term poverty (more than 4 years);
 Long-term: Increase from 327.000 in 2014;
 Long-term: 1110.000 between 50 and 65;
 Women; single-parent families; ‘Working poor’; People above
50; Young people; people with a disability; people with a non-
Western background

5
Poverty in The Netherlands
 320.000 children living in poverty in 2015;
 125.000 children living in long-term poverty in 2015 (increase
by 8.000 from 2014);
 40% of children in poverty grew up in single parent families;
 60% grow up in families on social welfare.

6
Poverty in The Netherlands

 Homelessness: extreme poverty

 31.000 (rough estimate)
 Increase of 75% since 2009
 Many people with a migration background;
young people

7
Numbers
 22% of people unemployed are between 55 and 65;
 18% of tenants at risk of not being able to pay the rent;
 With lower incomes and education people live 7 years less
and have 19 years less in a state of health perceived as
good compared to highly educated people;
 25% of people did not use care provided by municipalities
because of financial contribution;
 14% did not undergo necessary treatment that falls
outside health insurance;
 27% do not follow-up GPs referral;
 2,5 million people with literacy problems;
 17,9% of 15 year olds have a language deficiency (up from
11,5, between 2003-2015)

8
 A rights-based approach to combating
poverty in Europe: between policy and
(good) practice

CoE-FRA-ENNHRI-EQUINET Collaborative Platform

26 September 2019

Round Table on ending poverty

Combat Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion Service

Veerle Stroobants

Service de lutte contre la pauvreté, la précarité et l’exclusion sociale - www.luttepauvreté.be

Combat Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion Service – www.combatpoverty.be
Service de lutte contre la pauvreté, la précarité et l’exclusion sociale - www.luttepauvreté.be
Combat Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion Service – www.combatpoverty.be
Service de lutte contre la pauvreté, la précarité et l’exclusion sociale - www.luttepauvreté.be
Combat Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion Service – www.combatpoverty.be
 Risk of poverty

133.000
774.000 163.000
(1,2 %)
(7,0 %) (1,5 %)

288.000
(2,6 %)
453.000 56.000
(4,1 %) (0,5 %)

468.000
(4,2 %)

Service de lutte contre la pauvreté, la précarité et l’exclusion sociale - www.luttepauvreté.be

Combat Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion Service – www.combatpoverty.be
Service de lutte contre la pauvreté, la précarité et l’exclusion sociale - www.luttepauvreté.be
Combat Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion Service – www.combatpoverty.be
National Reform Program 2017, Belgium

Service de lutte contre la pauvreté, la précarité et l’exclusion sociale - www.luttepauvreté.be

Combat Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion Service – www.combatpoverty.be
Service de lutte contre la pauvreté, la précarité et l’exclusion sociale - www.luttepauvreté.be
Combat Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion Service – www.combatpoverty.be
Video: non take up of rights (https://vimeo.com/170972394: 0,15-2,00)

Service de lutte contre la pauvreté, la précarité et l’exclusion sociale - www.luttepauvreté.be

Combat Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion Service – www.combatpoverty.be
A rights-based approach to combating poverty in
Europe: between policy and (good) practice

CoE-FRA-ENNHRI-EQUINET Collaborative
Platform
26 September 2017

MR. VYTAUTAS VALENTINAVICIUS, Chief Public Relations Counsellor

The Seimas Ombudsmen‘s Office of The Republic of Lithuania
A rights-based approach to combating
poverty in Europe: Lithuania

In 2016, 21.9 of Lithuania’s population were living below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold.

2015 2016
Estonia Latvia Lithuania Estonia Latvia Lithuania
At-risk-of-poverty rate,
per cent
Total population 21.6 22.5 22.2 21.3 21.8 21.9
aged 0–17 20.0 23.2 28.9 18.5 18.6 25.6
aged 18–64 17.9 18.6 19.5 16.5 17.7 19.1
aged 65 and older 35.8 34.6 25.0 40.2 38.1 27.7
At-risk-of-poverty
threshold for a single 394 291 259 429 318 282
person, EUR per month
Source: Database of Statistics Estonia, 26 July 2017 and the Central Statistical
Bureau of Latvia, 26 July 2017
 A rights-based approach to combating
poverty in Europe: Lithuania

Source: Statistics Lithuania, 27 July 2017

 A rights-based approach to combating
poverty in Europe: Lithuania

Source: Statistics Lithuania, 27 July 2017

 A rights-based approach to combating
poverty in Europe: Lithuania

Source: Statistics Lithuania, 27 July 2017

 A rights-based approach to combating
poverty in Europe: Lithuania

Source: Statistics Lithuania, 27 July 2017

 A rights-based approach to combating
poverty in Europe: Lithuania

Source: Statistics Lithuania, 27 July 2017

Most affected by poverty in Lithuania

◦ Individuals older than age of 64 (retired)

◦ Children
◦ People with disabilities
◦ Individual leaving in rural areas of a country
◦ Employed people with a minimum wage
 Documents directed to combat the poverty
and social exclusion
Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the Implementation of
the Poverty Reduction Strategy of the Republic of Lithuania in 2002-2004

National Action Plan of the Republic of Lithuania for Combating Poverty and Social
Exclusion in 2004-2006

Plan for the implementation of the programme of the Government of the Republic of
Lithuania, approved in 2017 of which one of the directions of the priorities is: “Reducing
poverty, social exclusion and income inequalities, and promoting employment”:

Indicators
1. Share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion 29.3 (in 2016) reduced to 24
(in 2020)
2. The employment rate of the population (aged 15-64) 69.3 (in 2016) increased to 72
(in 2020)
 Measures taken by Ombudsmen to
address the Poverty
The meeting with the Committee on Human Rights of the Parliament of the Republic of
Lithuania to discuss:
- weaknesses of social security system
- introduce the human rights problems in social care institutions (2014)
The speech at the conference in the Presidential Palace on Application of European
Social Charter in an Ombudsman’s daily work (2016)
Conference at the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office to raise awareness of application of
Human Rights approach to social work (focusing on social care institutions) (2016)
Engagement into a dialogue with the Government on the measures to be taken to
reduce poverty, social exclusion and income inequalities (2017)
Participation in an ENNHRI project on rights of elderly: The Human Rights of Older
Persons and Long-term Care (2015-2017)
 The Seimas
Thank you Ombudsmen‘s Office of
for your the Republic of Lithuania
attention!
Gedimino pr. 56, Vilnius, 01110,
Lithuania
Tel. 8 706 65105, fax. 8 706 65138
ombuds@lrski.lt