Infantil poverty in Portugal

Children at Risk Foundation - CARF Brazil

Even though Portugal is under 

an extremely strict 

international aid programme 

of financial adjustment, 

since June 2011, 

infantil poverty has been rife for many years. 

According to a report:

"The impact of the European crisis," 

the child poverty rate in Portugal has been 

 above the average rate of the 27 member states 

of the European Union (EU27) 

since at least 2005, 

the date from which data was made available, 

according to Eurostat.

The child poverty rate in Portugal 

fell between 2004 and 2007, 

but there was a significant increase 

between 2007 and 2008.

In 2010, Portugal's rate of 22.4% 

was above the EU average (20.5%), 

according to the latest data from Eurostat, 

cited by Caritas.

While the phrase "protecting the vulnerable" 

continue to be part of the terminology 

used by politicians to justify the austerity measures 

undertaken by governments since 2008, 

either domestically or internationally, 

the Caritas in these five countries 

(Spain, Portugal, Greece, Ireland and Italy) 

"are daily confronted with more and more 

requests for support from people 

who are in a vulnerable position 

due to the impact of the crisis, 

the austerity and structural reform measures "
adopted by their governments.

So much for the portuguese socialists 

who try to blame

the latest poverty of the vulnerable,

 on the strict austerity measures taken 

by the current government.

In 2007-2008 until June 2011, 

(dates mentioned in this report)

Portugal was governed by the 

socialist party, 

with José Socrates as PM.