SOCIAL POLICY : ONE CHILD IN TWO AT RISK OF POVERTY IN BULGARIA AND HUNGARY.

• Position: Brief article

Child poverty has increased in 21 member states since 2008, and in Bulgaria and Hungary one child in two is at risk of poverty and social exclusion, according to an annual report on employment and social developments published by the European Commission on 21 January.

According to this report, the increase in child poverty is mainly due to an increase in poverty among parents. Adults of working age (18-64 years) have been most affected by the crisis due to rising unemployment and the deterioration in job security in terms of dwindling pay and hours worked. As a result, poverty and social exclusion among this section of the population have increased significantly over the last few years (by 6% or more) in two-thirds of EU member states. Currently, more than 50 million people in the EU live below the poverty line...