A new Unicef report has highlighted the large increases in child poverty in southern Europe. One in three Spanish children live in poverty or at risk of social exclusion, and the school dropout rate is nearly 25%Despite some recent good news for Spains economy, the past years of recession have inevitably left a mark on the country and its society. Earlier this year, Spain posted its strongest growth since the financial crisis began as Spanish GDP rose by 0.6% in the second quarter of 2014. High unemployment has been a big issue and despite the unemployment rate falling to 23.7% in the third quarter, Spain still has one of the highest jobless rates in Europe. Even short periods of poverty in critical years of childrens development can have life-long consequencesGreek families lost the equivalent of 14 years of progress; Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain lost a full decade; and four other nations lost almost as much. The Great Recession has brought suffering and life-long risks to an extra 619,000 children in Italy, 444,000 in France and 2 million in Mexico. Continue reading...
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