As every year, Secours Catholique publishes its annual statistical report, which provides insight into the evolution of the different forms of poverty it encounters. This year, a ten-year review has been conducted on the actions taken with people welcomed by the organization.
Initially, this document presents a series of general observations: living standards, changes in situations, faces of poverty, followed by a focus on the situation of families.
Precarity is becoming entrenched and worsening
If a third of the people met in 2001, as in 2011, had already visited Secours Catholique’s reception centers the previous year, more and more of them are being referred by social services (50% in 2011 vs. 42% in 2001) and have not experienced any major changes in their situation.
Through its receptions, Secours Catholique also notes that poverty situations are no longer the immediate consequence of a particular difficulty but a cumulation of problems (employment, housing, health…) and require increasingly long-term support from volunteers. While the poverty threshold is 964 euros, over the past 10 years, 68% of households encountered by Secours Catholique live in extreme poverty, with less than 640 euros per month.
Women’s poverty is increasing
In 2001, Secours Catholique encountered as many women as men, but ten years later, 57% of adults in poverty are women. The increase in women’s poverty is mainly due to the rise in the number of single-parent families assisted by the organization.
Increasing precariousness of families
The finding is unequivocal; the situation of families we encounter has significantly worsened over the past ten years. Between 2001 and 2011, there is a 6-point increase in the number of families that have approached the organization. The economic crisis has accelerated the impact on couples with children, especially on single-parent families firmly entrenched in poverty, a situation which also has a lasting impact on children. The rise in families encountered is also explained by the arrival of couples with children from Eastern Europe.
Compulsory expenses weigh increasingly heavy
Households in poverty have been hit hard by the rising prices of rent, energy, and essential goods. Secours Catholique’s figures notably indicate that the share of expenses dedicated to housing and related costs significantly burdens their budget: 60% of households report having unpaid bills, with 40% of these cases related to compulsory expenses like rent.
