The Province sits fourth in the list of areas with the most poverty in the Netherlands, with the Province of Groningen first
Translated by Thomas Ansell
As reported by the Omrop Fryslân, analysis of CBS data has shown that around 22,900 households in Friesland have an income under the so-called ‘low-income level’. This means that one in twelve households in the Province officially lives in poverty- making Friesland an area in the Netherlands with worryingly high levels of poverty.
In the Province these households are often one-person households. Incredibly, more than half of the people living in poverty in Friesland have an income from working (51 percent).
Around 31 percent of all households in Friesland that live in poverty derive their main income from pensions. Neighbouring Groningen has the most households in Poverty in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands is the sixth wealthiest economy in the EU, and had a GDP per capita in 2019 of just over 52,400 US dollars (around 44,800 euros).
The CBS defines its ‘low income level’ depending on the size of the household. In 2018, a single-person household was under the level if its income was less than 1,060 euros per month. The limit for a two-person household is 1,460 euros per month, and for those with two young children the level was set at 2,000 euros per month.