Poverty Dynamics in Europe
Chances of escaping poverty vary widely across European countries
Brian Colgan investigated how poverty develops over the long term in European countries. Because tracking households over the long term is often difficult due to a lack of data, he developed new statistical methods. These make it possible to accurately map, based on widely available survey data, whether people remain in poverty, escape it, or fall back into it.
Colgan's research shows that chances of escaping poverty vary widely across European countries and that parents' educational background plays a major role in this. Additionally, national averages often appear to mask significant regional inequalities. Colgan advises governments and policymakers to better align their approach with this dynamic: temporary poverty can often be resolved with income support, but long-term poverty requires structural local tailoring, such as targeted investments in education and the use of EU cohesion funds.
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