Amsterdam: Poverty or a Misunderstanding?
Ah, the Netherlands! Known for its windmills, tulips, and, apparently, the highest number of poor people living in Amsterdam. Who’d have thought, right? I mean, you can be broke in a picturesque city or fabulously wealthy in… well, less picturesque towns. Flip a coin; it’s a Dutch roulette!
Defining Poverty—We’ll Call it a “Misunderstanding”
So, here’s the twist: A shiny new definition of poverty has been rolled out by the CBS, Nibud, and SCP, and surprise surprise, fewer people are living in poverty than we thought! Forget the old figure of 820,000; it’s only 540,000 now! That’s practically a discount on poverty! Who doesn’t love a good sale?
Of course, they can change the definitions all they like, but what’s really tragic is the grim reality behind the numbers. Yes, it seems we’ve halved the number of poor folks in the last five years thanks to wage increases and corona support (thanks, pandemic!). But hey, here’s the kicker: for those remaining in poverty, life’s just gotten a whole lot harder.
Imagine showing up to a party where everyone’s addressing you with new definitions. “Oh, you’re not poor anymore because you have some savings!” Fantastic! Meanwhile, your fridge is empty, and you’re considering hoarding ketchup packets from the local mac and cheese joint. What a time to be alive!
The “Working Poor” Crisis: More Workers, Less Money
Despite all this statistical juggling, we’ve now entered the era of the “working poor.” Yes, people! There are more hardworking folks grappling with poverty than there are those lounging about waiting for their benefits. It’s like an episode of a TV show where the situation gets progressively worse. “And in the next episode, guess what? You’ll still be broke!”
Those living paycheck to paycheck while scraping by in part-time jobs or self-employment, like temporary workers and those fabulous unsung heroes working in cafes and supermarkets. Talk about a plot twist! To think you could be earning money while still being classified as ‘poor.’ It’s the perfect paradox: you work, but you still can’t afford the luxury of a Netflix subscription.
Amsterdam: The Epicenter (Or Should I Say “Epic-poverty”)?
And then we get to Amsterdam—the star of this whole saga—where a whopping 6.6% of the population reportedly lives beneath the poverty line. That’s a nice little badge to wear to the internationals visiting for the tulip season! Meanwhile, Rozendaal in Gelderland is practically rolling in a cornucopia of wealth with only 0.1% living in poverty. Someone hand them a Nobel Prize! But let’s keep it real: nobody wants to be known as the richest man in the cemetery.
The New Measuring Method: A Politician’s Delight!
The latest measuring methods blur the lines even more. Who knew suddenly having savings could flip your financial status? So, if you’re sitting on a Million Euro fortune but live in a cardboard box, congratulations on no longer being considered poor! You might as well apply for a reality show: “Who Wants to be a Millionaire… Without a House?”
In 2023, to “qualify” for poverty, a single person needed less than €1,510 a month. A couple with two kids needed €2,535. Let’s get this straight: if you manage to live on that, you’re a magician in disguise! You just made me wonder if my flatmates can survive on instant noodles and little else. And based on the new metric, families with savings and no debt will sip a cup of tea, blissfully ignoring their poverty status. Meanwhile, people without saving… well, they just better be good at playing the ukulele for extra cash.
Conclusion: Is Any of This Really Helping?
In the end, the question is less about how we define poverty and more about the systemic issues at play. The cheeky world of statistics can dance all they want around the numbers, but when you’re staring down at your empty wallet, definitions are a little less meaningful. The government can adjust the poverty line as much as it likes, but the bruising reality is these “working poor” are battling it out day-to-day with no sign of relief in sight.
So remember folks, if you’re ever feeling blue about your finances, just remember: someone out there could be defining you as not poor simply because you have a few coins left in your pocket! Now, that’s what I call a positive spin on tough times!
ANPAmsterdam is the municipality with the most poor people in the Netherlands
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 00:18
There are fewer people living in poverty than previously thought. This is the result of a new definition of poverty drawn up by CBS, Nibud and SCP. This involves looking more closely at the money that people have available to live on.
According to this new definition, 540,000 people lived in poverty last year. According to the old calculations there were 820,000.
It also appears that the number of people living in poverty has fallen more than previously thought. The group has more than halved in five years due to the new definition. But among the remaining group of people in poverty, the severity of the lack of money increased.
The decrease in the number of poor people has various causes (regardless of the definition). In 2019, the wage increases turned out to be beneficial, the following year some of the poor were helped with corona support, then the energy surcharge came and the increase in the minimum wage last year also helped.
The new definition is politically important. The way in which it is determined what is and is not considered poverty in the statistics determines the poverty line. Successive governments have set themselves the goal of reducing the number of people below the poverty line by a certain percentage, or at least not allowing it to grow.
Working poor
Yet all these measures could not prevent the group that remained poor from becoming poorer on average. In 2018, a household living in poverty had an average of 10 percent less than the poverty line. Last year that had risen to 16 percent.
This shift is mainly the result of a change in the group of Dutch people in poverty. Previously, this group consisted largely of people receiving social assistance. Due to the new definition, there are now more working poor people than people in poverty receiving benefits. And those workers often have an even greater lack of money.
According to CBS, this mainly concerns people who work part-time and self-employed people who earn little from their business. Previous research by economists’ magazine ESB showed that working poor are mainly active as temporary workers and in the catering industry. There are also relatively many poor workers among supermarket staff and cleaners.
Amsterdam, Vaals, Vlieland
Amsterdam is the municipality with relatively the most people in poverty. 6.6 percent of Amsterdam residents live below the poverty line. Amsterdam is followed by the border municipality of Vaals. Rotterdam, The Hague and Vlieland also have large groups of residents who lack money.
Rozendaal in Gelderland has by far the fewest inhabitants in poverty (0.1 percent). This is followed by several municipalities where one in a hundred inhabitants is poor, such as Hilvarenbeek, Oost Gelre and Dinkelland.
New measuring method
The poverty line in 2023 was 1,510 euros per month for a single person. For a couple with two young children, this amounted to 2,535 euros, the researchers say in the new report.
Previously, there were five different ways to calculate poverty. For this report, the researchers developed one new measuring method, which they all continue to use. The method is also more accurate.
They not only looked at income and expenditure on housing and energy, for example, but also at a household’s assets.
For example, if a family has no income, but has a lot of savings and no debts, it is no longer considered poor. After all, the idea is that they can survive on their savings.
Taking this into account shows that the number of poor Dutch people is lower than previously thought.
