Overview
- The 2024 FOESSA/Cáritas study estimates 19.6% of residents—about 1.3 million—in social exclusion, 230,000 more than in 2018 despite a 2.5‑point improvement since 2021.
- Housing emerges as the core fault line, affecting 23% of the population as rents have climbed 24% since 2018 and over half of renters spend more than 30% of income on housing.
- More than one million people live in insecure or inadequate housing, including roughly 400,000 in unstable tenures and 700,000 in overcrowded or unsanitary homes.
- Employment has grown 15% since 2018 and unemployment sits near 9%, yet 11% of households face employment‑related exclusion and income supports like the IMV reach only about 42% of those in severe poverty.
- Exclusion is concentrated among minors (27%), migrants (45%), and single‑parent households led by women (39.9%), with additional strain seen in health costs such as dental care and medicines.