29.2% of Spanish population now at risk of poverty or social exclusion

The number of people at risk of falling into poverty or social exclusion continues to rise in Spain, according to a study by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The rate stood at 29.2 percent of the population in 2014, up from 27.3 percent in 2013 and 26.1 percent in 2010. Spain has a population of around 46.5 million.

After being stuck around 27 percent for two years, this rate rose two points over the following two years

Average household income also fell to €26,154 per family, down 2.3 percent from 2013.

The findings are part of the Living Conditions Survey (LCS), which has been carried out since 2004 and is based on harmonized criteria for all European Union countries.

The AROPE indicator (which stands for At Risk Of Poverty or Social Exclusion) is the main tool used by Eurostat, the European statistics bureau, to study inequality in member countries and the impact of social and economic policies.

After being stuck around 27 percent for two years (2011 and 2012), this rate rose two points over the following two years.

One of the three elements that go into the AROPE indicator is the risk of poverty, which affects those who make less than €7,961 a year for a single-member household and €16,719 for a family of four. The percentage of Spanish residents under this line continues to grow, reaching 22.2 percent of the population in 2014 compared with 20.4 percent a year earlier.