One in Five Children in Cyprus Lives Below the Poverty Line

According to Eurostat, the European Statistical Office, approximately 31,000 children in Cyprus were living below the poverty line in 2022, accounting for 18.1% of all minors.

These statistics were cited in a joint statement by the Commissioner for Children's Rights, the National Anti-Poverty Network of Cyprus (EDEF-Cyprus), the All-Cyprus Coordination Committee for the Protection and Welfare of Children (PSEPEP), the Cyprus Children's Parliament, and SISTEMA Cyprus. The statement also announces the decision to dedicate the year 2024 to combating child poverty.

Throughout 2024, these organizations will collaborate on a series of joint initiatives aimed at educating, informing, and raising public awareness. The primary objective of the campaign is to actively involve children in these efforts.

As part of this initiative, a series of roundtable discussions will be conducted.

Stakeholders emphasize that child poverty is one of the most serious issues facing modern society. Successive economic crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, wars, poverty, housing issues, high inflation, declining real wages, and living standards affect children worldwide, including those living in Cyprus.

It is noted that 330 million children globally live in conditions of extreme poverty and material deprivation. In the European Union, one in four children, or 25%, lives below the poverty line and faces social isolation.

Child poverty must become a priority issue, focusing on equal opportunities, social integration, and the rights of children in crisis and emergency situations, as stated in the message from the Commissioner for Children's Rights, Despo Michaelidou, on the occasion of International Children's Day.