The level of poverty in Majorca and the Balearics has fallen.

The level of poverty in Majorca and the Balearics has fallen. | Pere Bota

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma27/04/2017 00:00
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According to the national survey of living conditions, the percentage of the Balearic population living beneath the poverty line fell from 21.7% in 2015 to 15.5% in 2016. This decline, in percentage terms, was the greatest in the country and gave the Balearics the seventh lowest poverty rating. In Spain as a whole, the level of poverty rose slightly - by 0.2% to 22.3%.

Being at risk of poverty is defined as having an income below what is considered to be the average standard of living in a particular community. The threshold is fixed at 60% of average disposable income.

In the Balearics, the poverty level last year was the lowest it has been since 2008, which was when the current system of record-keeping began. The survey revealed that the average annual income per person increased by 12.8% in 2016 and went up to 12,222 euros, the highest since 2008. The average nationally last year was 10,708 euros.

The percentage of the population at risk of poverty (as opposed to being below the poverty line) also fell - from 26.3% in 2015 to 19.1%. In terms of people in households without employment or with very little, the rate was cut by 6.7%.