One in five children in Germany are living in poverty

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Around 21 percent of German children have lived in poverty for a period of at least five years, a new study shows.

Another 10 percent experience poverty during periods of  their childhood, a study shows from the Bertelsmann Foundation, an independent research institution associated with the media conglomerate Bertelsmann.

– Child poverty is a permanent feature of German society. The ones who falls into the poverty category will remain there for a long time. Too few families manage to escape from poverty, ” says Jörg Dräger, head of the research institute.

Children living in families whose income is less than 60 per cent of the national average, or who receive social benefits in order to cope, falls into the poverty category.

The study shows that, although poor families get support to survive from day to day, they are often isolated socially, without the opportunity to go to the movies, use the internet or take part in other pursuits that break the chores of everyday life.

 

©  NTB Scanpix / Norway Today

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