Child poverty in Spain affects over 2 million minors

A study by the Fundación de Estudios de Economía Aplicada (FEDEA) reveals that child poverty remains a critical distributive issue in Spain. In 2025, approximately 2.07 million children and adolescents—representing 28.3% of those under 18—lived below the monetary poverty threshold.

When applying the AROPE indicator, which accounts for monetary poverty, severe material and social deprivation, and low household employment intensity, the child poverty rate rises to 33.8%. This figure is significantly higher than the European Union average of 19.3%. The study highlights that single-parent households are particularly vulnerable, with an AROPE rate of 50.3% and a monetary poverty rate of 41.2%.

Economists José Ignacio Conde-Ruiz and Marialejandra Garay Aguirre suggest that the issue is driven less by parental unemployment—which is actually lower in households with children (6.6%) than in those without (10.7%)—and more by the specific costs associated with child-rearing and the loss of purchasing power facing Spanish families.