Recent data confirm a trend that, at first glance, might invite a degree of optimism: child poverty in Spain has declined slightly in the last year to 28.4%. However, a closer look beyond the headline reveals that the situation is far from satisfactory. Child poverty among girls, boys, and adolescents remains markedly higher than that of the overall population and remains among the highest in the European Union, exposing an uncomfortable reality: in Spain, nearly one in three children is at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
It is true that childhood is the age group in which the poverty risk has fallen the most, but it is also true that this improvement is clearly insufficient. The poverty rate for the entire population stands at 19.7%, which implies a gap of 8.9 percentage points. This represents the second-largest gap recorded since 2008. In other words: even when the figures improve, they do so more slowly for children.
It is worth recalling what these figures really mean. A person is considered to be in poverty when their household income is below 60% of the median income per consumption unit. For a family composed of one adult and two children, this implies living with less than €1,629 per month. In other words, barely €534 per person to cover all basic needs. In this context, it is not surprising that more than 2.2 million girls, boys and adolescents currently live below the poverty threshold in Spain.
Moreover, childhood poverty is not distributed evenly. The type of household is a determining factor. Single-parent families remain the most affected: 43.4% are in poverty, a figure that, far from decreasing, has risen by one point in the last year. Worrying rates are also seen in households formed by two adults with one or more dependent children (22.5%), and in other family types with children, where the rate reaches 23.9% and has grown by 1.4 points compared with the previous year. These figures show that having children continues to be an economic risk factor.
“The data are eloquent: 5.6% of girls, boys and adolescents could not afford in 2024 a meal with meat, poultry or fish at least every two days”
Yet not all individuals experience poverty with the same intensity. Severe poverty — defined as income below 40% of the median — affects 12.5% of the child population, after a decrease of 1.6 points in the last year. This means that almost one million girls, boys and adolescents live in severe poverty.
Poverty is not only a matter of income. Severe material deprivation offers a fuller picture of living conditions. This indicator, which measures the lack of at least four of nine items deemed essential for a dignified life, affects 8.6% of the child population. Although it has fallen by 1.6 points, childhood remains the group most affected. The data are telling: 5.6% of girls, boys and adolescents could not afford in 2024 a meal with meat, poultry or fish at least every two days; 42% live in households unable to cope with unexpected expenses; and 16.1% reside in homes where there are delays in paying basic bills.
In addition, structural problems such as energy poverty and housing access add to the challenge. In 2025, 15.5% of families could not keep their homes at a suitable temperature, and 34% of children did not have the opportunity to take a vacation of at least one week per year. These are not mere occasional deprivations: they are conditions that affect development, health, and the emotional well-being of millions of girls and boys.
For a universal child-raising benefit
From the Platform for Childhood we insist that this reality is avoidable. Spain has room to act and clear evidence about which policies work. To date, while awaiting details on how the Government will implement the announced universal child-raising benefit within the sustainable development strategy, Spain remains one of the few European Union countries without such aid. The current tax deductions, which concentrate around 60% of family support, do not reach those most in need, since many families in poverty do not pay income tax. A universal benefit, financed through refundable deductions, would have a direct impact on reducing inequality and child poverty.
“The reduction of child poverty cannot depend on fleeting improvements or partial efforts. It requires a decisive and sustained political commitment over time”
Moreover, it is essential to increase the amounts of the Child Assistance Supplement (CAPI), especially for children over six years old. The average cost of raising a child in Spain is around 758 euros per month per child, far above the current levels of the CAPI, which are clearly insufficient, particularly during adolescence, when costs and poverty rates rise.
It is also necessary to decouple the CAPI from the Minimum Vital Income (IMV). According to AIReF, 72% of potentially eligible families do not receive this aid, largely due to its linkage to the IMV, which creates confusion and discourages applications. Improving the IMV, reducing the phenomenon of non take-up (the situation in which many families who could access help do not apply, whether due to lack of knowledge, confusion, or administrative barriers) and strengthening housing policies with a child-focused approach are essential steps to guarantee basic rights.
The reduction of child poverty cannot depend on short-term gains or partial efforts. It requires a decisive and sustained political commitment over time. Because when child poverty declines slowly and remains far higher than that of the rest of the population, we are not witnessing success: we are in debt to our childhood.
