Measuring Poverty in Europe

Abstract

Marcella Corsi and Kristian Orsini analyse poverty levels in six European countries: Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom. They focus on child poverty, taking into account differences in demographic structure, actual redistribution policies towards younger households and family services aimed at increasing female labour market participation in the European Union. They argue that starting from the 1980s most industrialized countries have experienced a trend towards increasing child poverty, whereas poverty rates amongst elderly populations have radically decreased. They suggest that in the ‘digital divide’ era, child poverty might have more far-reaching consequences than in the past.